The COVID-19 caseload continues to climb across the West, and in recent press calls, health officials in both Fresno and Kern Counties have expressed concern about the ability of hospitals to keep up with rising healthcare needs and potential surges. For a closer look at hospital capacities and what else has been happening in our seven-county coverage area of the San Joaquin Valley, we bring you this update for the week of July 6-10, 2020. Meanwhile, you can always find up-to-date information for your county here.
The outlook (note that some numbers changed between the interview and publication):
- As of July 9: 384 deaths out of 24,661 cases; 650 people hospitalized and 128 in ICUs.
- As of July 2: 339 deaths out of 19,586 cases; 510 people hospitalized and 119 in ICUs.
- In the last week, 45 people in our coverage area succumbed to the disease. In the week before, the total was 47.
- Average cases reported daily in the last week: 725.
Listen to the interview for a discussion of how local hospitals are faring as caseloads climb, with excerpts from an interview with Russell Judd, CEO of Kern Medical in Bakersfield. We also touch upon a drop in cases at Kings County prisons, low case numbers in Mariposa County, and why Madera County became the sixth Valley county added to the state’s COVID-19 watch list.
