Our Response to COVID-19: Information
Globally
Good evening,

August 11, 2020 -- Together, the US, Brazil, and India, the top three most infected countries, reported high plateaued numbers of new coronavirus cases (+168,984) and much increased daily numbers of related deaths (+3,500). Colombia, currently ranked 8th, set a record with 12,830 new COVID-19 cases; Colombia is in trouble because its overall positivity rate has been steadily climbing, from 14.45% a month ago to 20.70% today. The country’s testing infrastructure does not appear to have built much additional capacity, only releasing between 30,000 and 40,000 daily tests. There is good news to report from South Africa, where the downward trend observed over the last three weeks, today produced the country’s lowest daily report in two months, with 2,511 new cases, far below the most infected African nation’s apex of 13,944 new COVID-19 cases, set three short weeks ago on July 25, 2020. As noted by global news outlets, the world now has over 20 million confirmed COVID-19 infections (and will have over 21 million on Thursday). Unfortunately, as clearly visible in the graphs, below, the global spread is still accelerating, averaging a quarter million new cases every day for the foreseeable future.

  • COVID-19 Global cases: 20,509,966 (+265,482)
  • COVID-19 Global deaths: 745,453 (+6,848)
  • COVID-19 Global death rate: 3.63%
  • COVID-19 Global tests* (est.): 374,843,003 (+3,653,572) 
  • COVID-19 Global positivity rate: 5.47%
  • COVID-19 Global singe-day positivity rate: 7.01%

*:incomplete data set
Tip: click on any of the graphs for larger and clearer images and click on READ MORE to view the complete articles.

Note: Please forgive the occasional typos. I write these reports at the end of the work day and I have seen them creep in, undetected by my tired evening eyes. I hope they do not bother you as much as they annoy me.
Russia’s approval of a COVID-19 vaccine is less than meets the press release | sciencemag.org

In a startling and confusing move, Russia claimed today it had approved the world’s first COVID-19 vaccine, as the nation’s Ministry of Health issued what’s called a registration certificate for a vaccine candidate that has been tested in just 76 people. The certificate allows the vaccine, developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Moscow, to be given to “a small number of citizens from vulnerable groups,” including medical staff and the elderly, a Ministry of Health spokesperson tells ScienceInsider. But the certificate stipulates that the vaccine cannot be used widely until 1 January 2021, presumably after larger clinical trials have been completed.

Scientists around the world immediately denounced the certification as premature and inappropriate, as the Gamaleya vaccine has yet to complete a trial that convincingly shows it is safe and effective in a large group of people. Even some within Russia challenged the move. “It's ridiculous,” says Svetlana Zavidova, a lawyer who heads the Association of Clinical Research Organizations in Russia. “I feel only shame for our country.”...READ MORE
In the US
Florida Sees New Daily Coronavirus Death Toll Record | USNews.com

FLORIDA SET ANOTHER record for new daily deaths from the coronavirus on Tuesday when it reported more than 270 deaths.

The state's health department reported 276 resident deaths Tuesday, surpassing the previous record of 257 on July 31. That day's death toll set a record for most daily deaths for the fourth consecutive day.

Florida Health reports 8,553 resident COVID-19 deaths and 132 non-resident deaths. The department also recorded 5,886 new resident cases on Tuesday, bringing the state's total to more than 536,980 cases among residents.

.There are more than 542,790 total cases, residents and non residents, throughout Florida.

The state's positivity rate currently sits at 13.38%, above the state's goal of a positivity rate below 10%... READ MORE

  • COVID-19 USA cases: 5,304,247 (+52,809)
  • COVID-19 USA deaths: 167,595 (+1,403)
  • COVID-19 USA death rate: 3.16%
  • COVID-19 USA testing: 66,942,040 individual tests (+763,425)
  • COVID-19 USA positivity rate: 7.92%
  • COVID-19 USA single-day positivity date: 6.92%
In California
California’s coronavirus cases jump as counties process data backlog | mercurynews.com
As coronavirus hospitalizations continue to decline across California, counties reported more than 13,000 new cases Monday, a marked uptick as they began processing the thousands of lab reports that had been backlogged for more than a week within the state’s reporting system.

The new cases caused the state’s seven-day average to jump by more than 700 cases in a single day, up to 7,612. That will likely continue to rise in the coming days as counties parse through a swell of cases that date back to late July, and in some instances even earlier.

The majority of new cases were clustered in Southern California, with Los Angeles, Riverside and Sacramento counties each reporting more than 1,000 new cases Monday. Although Los Angeles has led the charts in terms of new cases for weeks, Riverside and Sacramento had otherwise reported an average of 490 and 104 weekly cases, respectively.

In the Bay Area, Santa Clara County reported 740 new infections Monday — a huge increase from the 189 on average... READ MORE
NOTICE: Please note that CalREDIE, the statewide electronic disease reporting system, is experiencing serious unresolved processing delays. As such, new cases presented here are likely an underestimate of true incident cases being reported. This impacts many of our statistics, including case rates and probable active estimates. | Merced County Website
  • COVID-19 California cases: 585,450 (+11,677) PEAK
  • COVID-19 California deaths: 10,649 (+181)
  • COVID-19 California death rate: 1.82%
  • COVID-19 California testing: 9,186,279 individual tests (+187,926)
  • COVID-19 California positivity rate: 6.37%
  • COVID-19 California single-day positivity rate: 6.21%
In the Central Valley
The Madera County Department of Public Health COVID-19 Update:

8/11/2020 COVID-19 UPDATE: Reporting 127 new cases (PEAK) bringing the total number of reported cases to 2,590. We also regret to report 1 additional death. 
Of the 2,590:
  • 654 active case (including 31 Madera County residents hospitalized in Madera County) 
  • 1,896 recovered (124 released from isolation) 
  • 40 deceased

One additional deceased
  • female, 50s, underlying conditions

Today, the local counties confirmed 1,868 new infections and the sad new daily record of 39 new coronavirus deaths (PEAK). Many county records were broken today: most new cases in Madera (+127) and in Tulare (+687), and most new deaths in Fresno (+20) and in Kern (+12). Another stunning fact: 61% of the COVID-19 deaths from Merced County residents have occurred in the last 14 days. Please also note that Kings county has not reported any new COVID-19 cases or related fatalities information since 8/2/220, a fact to keep in mind as you review the graphs and data below.
COVID-19 in Madera + 6 local counties (+% is the positivity rate)

  • Mariposa: 63 cases (+1), 2 deaths, 4,183 tests, 1.51+%
  • Merced: 6,102 cases (+366), 74 deaths (+4), 31,943 tests, 19.10+%
  • Madera: 2,590 cases (+127) PEAK, 40 deaths (+1), 28,527 tests, 9.08+%
  • Fresno: 17,978 cases (+132), 191 deaths (+20) PEAK, 151,188 tests, 11.89+%
  • Tulare: 11,549 cases (+687) PEAK, 198 deaths (+2), est. 88,838 tests, 13.00+%
  • Kings: 4,453 cases, 56 deaths, 29,691 tests, 15.00+% no new data since 8/2
  • Kern: 24,995 cases (+555), 183 deaths (+12) PEAK, 146,141 tests, 17.10+%

COVID-19 in the 7 counties together

  • 7 counties cases: 67,730 (+1,868)
  • 7 counties deaths: 744 (+39) PEAK
  • 7 counties death rate: 1.10%
  • 7 Counties tests: 480,511 (est.)
  • 7 Counties positivity rate: 14.10%
From our hearts to yours,

Fredo and Renee Martin
Workingarts Marketing, inc.
+1-559-662-1119

PS: We welcome comments and questions. If you wish to review previous reports, we now host past issues here.