MADERA — County health officials are currently monitoring 80 individuals locally for signs of the coronavirus. But for the past three days, the total number of confirmed cases countywide has remained at 30.
Statewide as of 7 a.m. Wednesday, there were 17,620 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with the death toll now standing at 450.
On Tuesday, county health officials again reported “no new local cases” over the past 24 hours. According to the latest report, the county has monitored a total of 503 people for the coronavirus but Saturday (April 4) was the last day Madera County health officials confirmed a new case.
For the latest update from the Madera County Department of Public Health, click here.
While local, state and federal officials warn this week could be the most difficult so far since the pandemic started, there are some hopeful signs the outbreak may be peaking. In hot spots like New York City, the number of deaths appear to be leveling off.
Over the weekend in California, Governor Gavin Newsom said new, quicker testing would soon become available to Californians.
Of the 30 COVID-19 cases so far confirmed in Madera County, 20 remain “active” while eight people have recovered and two have died.
The second person to die from COVID-19 in Madera County, a woman in her 70s suffering from underlying conditions, passed away last Friday. That person initially tested positive for COVID-19 on March 25 and is believed to have contracted the virus through person-to-person transmission.
Also last Friday, the post office in Coarsegold was closed after a mail carrier reportedly tested positive for COVID-19. The facility reopened the next day after a deep cleaning.
Most of the local coronavirus victims are in home isolation. So far, there have been 5 confirmed cases of so-called “community spread.”
Mariposa County is the only Valley county without a single confirmed case. That county’s health officer issued an order last week directing all county employers to check their employees’ temperatures daily before allowing them to start their shifts.
“All Mariposa County residents should be on the lookout for symptoms of COVID-19 in themselves,” said Mariposa County Health Officer Eric Sergienko. “If any resident has COVID-19 symptoms they should isolate themselves for seven days after the start of symptoms, unless you should require further medical attention. ‘Isolation’ is defined as ‘separation of sick people with a contagious disease from people who are not sick.'”
