Our Response to COVID-19: Information
Globally
August 28, 2020

Good evening,

March 31, 2020 was the apex of infections in France with 7,631 new COVID-19 cases. Today, almost 5 months later, France is back up there at 7,379 new infections for the day. Two months ago, on June 24, 2020, in a country of about 66 million people, the French national report was down to 81 new cases for the day. Masks are now mandated in all public and work areas in Paris and Marseille. A lesson in plain sight. Loss of patience and focus, rushed re-openings, vociferous mask opponents, etc. you name it. France has the same percentage of covidiots as we do here in the States. COVID-19 deaths upticks in France will most certainly follow in a couple of weeks. Reopening without a vaccine makes this inevitable. We MUST learn from this.

While India did not set a new record today, it has counted around 76.000 new cases every day for the last four days. Argentina, Ukraine, Indonesia set new high marks and many smaller countries added near record numbers in France, Honduras, Lebanon, Ethiopia, Romania, and Morocco.

  • COVID-19 Global cases: 24,904,783 (+292,881)
  • COVID-19 Global deaths: 841,213 (+5,904)
  • COVID-19 Global death rate: 3.38%
  • COVID-19 Global testing: 431,808,825 confirmed tests (+3,343,919)
  • COVID-19 Global positivity rate: 5.77%
  • COVID-19 Global single-day positivity rate: 8.46%

*: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.Also, please forgive the occasional typos.
Argentina COVID-19 cases data

  • Global rank: 11
  • 392,009 cases (+11,717) PEAK
  • 8,271 deaths (+221)
  • 1,196,878 tests (+24,067)
  • Positivity rate: 32.75%
Indonesia COVID-19 cases data

  • Global rank: 23
  • 165,887 cases (+3,003) PEAK
  • 7,169 deaths (+105)
  • 2,169,418 tests (+33,002)
  • Positivity rate: 7.67%
Ukraine COVID-19 cases data

  • Global rank: 27
  • 114,497 cases (+2,438) PEAK
  • 2,451 deaths (+48)
  • 1,494,243 tests (+42,237)
  • Positivity rate: 7.61%
France COVID-19 cases data

  • Global rank: 17
  • 267,077 cases (+7,369)
  • 30,596 deaths (+20)
  • 6,030,812 tests (+30,812)
  • Positivity rate: 4.45%
In the US
Nevada man, 25, becomes the first known case in the US of coronavirus reinfection | dailymail.co.uk

Researchers have identified the first case of an American patient who was reinfected with the novel coronavirus.

According to the report, the unnamed 25-year-old man, from Reno, Nevada, tested positive in April after showing mild illness.

He got sick again in late May and developed more severe COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.

Forty-eight days after his first positive test, he received a second one. 

'This study likely represents a clear example of reinfection...reinfections are possible - which we already knew, because immunity is never 100 percent,' Dr Kristian Anderson, professor of immunology and microbiology at Scripps Research in La Jolla, California told Reuters.

Health experts are concerned that a future vaccine may not be very effective if reinfection is possible over such a short amount of time...READ MORE

COVID-19 in the USA

  • Cases: 6,096,159 (+49,525)
  • Deaths: 185,901 (+1,105)
  • Death rate: 3.05%
  • Testing: 80,295,752 individual tests (+823,296)
  • Positivity rate: 7.59%
  • Single-day positivity date: 6.02%
Iowa sees record 2,579 coronavirus cases, with 79% positivity rate
Iowa on Friday reported that more than three-quarters of the coronavirus tests performed in the past 24 hours had come back positive.

The positivity rate jumped to a record 79.43 percent — with 2,579 new COVID-19 cases confirmed out of 3,247 tests.

But Pat Garrett, spokesman for Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, said Friday evening that the abrupt increase is a one-time event, reflecting the addition of antigen tests to state numbers.

The results of about 10,000 antigen tests, previously marked as “inconclusive,” were updated as positive or negative — thereby boosting the number of cases and the positivity rate.

“The test was already counted,” he said. Now the antigen results are added in.

About 1,000 of the antigen tests — or 10 percent — were positive, Dr. Caitlin Pedati of the Iowa Department of Public Health told the Associated Press.

As a result of the catch-up, Garrett said, it’s possible some areas appeared to have more positive cases than they had tests conducted.

Antigen tests, which detect proteins on the surface of the coronavirus, are becoming increasingly popular because they return results much more quickly than standard COVID-19 tests.
Illinois COVID-19: IL reports 2,149 new coronavirus cases, 20 deaths as 30 IL counties reach 'warning level'
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Suburban Cook County was added Friday to a list of Illinois counties now at a "warning" level for COVID-19 cases.

Counties at the warning level could face new restrictions if more isn't done to slow the spread of the virus. There are now 30 counties at a warning level in Illinois.

COVID-19 numbers have been on the rise in suburban Cook County. The state has added Cook County to 29 other counties in the state at a warning level, meaning the county is exceeding two or more risk indicators for the spread of the virus.

County health officials say they believe the surge in cases is coming from large private gatherings where people fail to wear masks and observe social distancing.

"We're in the process of thinking about if we continue to remain in orange, maybe we then recommend further mitigation measures to be put in place throughout suburban Cook County," Cook County Medical Officer Dr. Rachel Rubin said.

The announcement comes at a difficult time for the county, with many schools returning to session. While many school districts are beginning the year remotely, this could set back hopes of returning to normal anytime soon.
Iowa COVID-19 cases data

  • National rank: 27
  • 62,375 cases (+2,574) PEAK
  • 1 097 deaths (+13)
  • 619,852 tests (+3 322)
  • Positivity rate: 10.06%
Illinois COVID-19 cases data

  • National rank: 6
  • 231,185 cases (+2,434)
  • 8,206 deaths (+20)
  • 3,924,305 tests (+48,383)
  • Positivity rate: 5.89%
US top 5 infected states:

  1. California: 698,173 COVID-19 cases, 12,836 deaths
  2. Texas: 631,118 COVID-19 cases, 12,667 deaths
  3. Florida: 615,806 COVID-19 cases, 10,957 deaths
  4. New York: 463,915 COVID-19 cases, 33,005 deaths
  5. Georgia: 267,670 COVID-19 cases, 5,549 deaths
In California
‘We’re going to be more stubborn this time’: Newsom unveils new 4-tier system for slower business reopenings | ktla.com
With the hope of preventing another virus surge, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a new process Friday for reopening businesses that’s more gradual than the first attempt that eventually led him to close many businesses soon after they reopened.

“Simple, also slow,” is how the Democratic governor described the new rules, which take effect Monday.

The four-tiered, color-coded system ranks counties based on the number of virus cases and infection rates. Businesses can add more customers or open more services as their county moves into lower tiers.

For example, counties in the most restrictive tier — purple — can only allow restaurant dining outside. But in lower red, orange and yellow tiers, they can serve people in indoor dining rooms at reduced capacity.

When the new system takes effect, 38 of the state’s 58 counties, including Los Angeles and nearly every other large county, will begin at purple. Only three rural counties will begin in the yellow phase, the least restrictive.
  • COVID-19 California cases: 698,173 (+5,393)
  • COVID-19 California deaths: 12,836 (+145)
  • COVID-19 California death rate: 1.84%
  • COVID-19 California testing: 11,010,637 individual tests (+92,222)
  • COVID-19 California positivity rate: 6.35%
  • COVID-19 California single-day positivity rate: 5.85%
In the Central Valley
The Madera County Department of Public Health COVID-19 Update:

8/28/2020 COVID-19 UPDATE: Reporting 107 new cases bringing the total number of reported cases to 3,674. 
Of the 3,674:

  • 362 active case (including 18 Madera County residents hospitalized in Madera County)
  • 2,994 recovered (15 released from isolation) 
  • 54 deceased

Today, including a downward data adjustment of reported cases in Fresno county, the seven local counties together confirmed 468 new infections and 45 new coronavirus deaths (in Merced, Fresno, Kern, and Tulare counties). Sadly today, Fresno and Kern counties published their highest single-day fatalities report, which also made it the seven counties' highest report of deaths confirmed in a single day. Fatalities in the combined seven counties have now passed the symbolic number of 1,000: 1,011 of our neighbors and friends have died from COVID-19 in the last 24 weeks. Our friends and neighbors are needlessly dying, many families are suffering. Science and the courage to follow its logic will solve this pandemic, any other discourse is inadequate.
COVID-19 in Madera + 6 local counties (+% is the positivity rate)

  • Mariposa: 71 cases, 2 deaths, 4,859 tests, 1.46+%
  • Merced: 7,890 cases (+76), 115 deaths (+1), 41,808 tests, 18.87+%
  • Madera: 3,674 cases (+107), 54 deaths, 38,688 tests, 9.50+%
  • Fresno: 23,958 cases (revised), 263 deaths (+24) PEAK, 195,974 tests, 12.23+%
  • Tulare: 13,884 cases (+102), 232 deaths (+3), est. 106,800 tests, 13.50+%
  • Kings: 6,090 cases (+69), 72 deaths, 33,686 tests, 18.08+%
  • Kern: 28,961 cases (+107), 273 deaths (+17) PEAK, 166,027 tests, 17.44+%

COVID-19 in the 7 counties together

  • 7 counties cases: 84,528 (+613)
  • 7 counties deaths: 1,011 (+45) PEAK
  • 7 counties death rate: 1.20%
  • 7 Counties tests: 587,842 (est.)
  • 7 Counties positivity rate: 14.38%
California health officials order chicken plant closure after 8 die of COVID-19
California health officials are ordering a Foster Farms poultry plant closed after eight workers died of COVID-19 and at least 358 employees tested positive for the virus. The order came as the local public health department works to curtail what it calls "the most severe and long-lasting outbreak in Merced County" at the Foster Farms facility in Livingston.

The true count of infections among the plant's 3,750 employees is unknown, as the official count is largely based on workers who chose to get tested and reported the results, the Merced County Department of Public Health said on Thursday.

The facility now accounts for 18% of COVID-19 deaths of those 64 and younger in the county. The county public health department's account of what led to its closure order is a somber retelling of deaths that seemingly didn't have to happen. 

In late June, a month before any workers had died but as cases tied to the Foster Farms outbreak continued to rise, Merced County health officials visited the plant and offered recommendations for controlling its spread, the MCDPH said in a statement. 

Foster Farms did not fully heed guidance to conduct widespread testing of its workers and change their break space, according to the health department.

Throughout July, public health officials urged widespread testing to control the outbreak. Foster Farms initially tested less than 100, or about 10%, of those who worked in the department with the most cases, and 25% of those tests came back positive. It took the company an additional three weeks to broaden its testing, and "subsequently, three fatalities were linked to that department alone."
It was been 24 week since the first COVID-19 case was discovered in Madera County, one of the 7 local counties monitored in these reports. Although the number of weekly cases is the lowest it has been in 8 weeks, the weekly deaths count is almost as high as it was two weeks ago. The data can be parsed in many ways some of which are featured below: percentage of new cases and deaths in the last two weeks, tests/cases/deaths per thousands, as well as weekly totals of deaths and cases since the onset of the pandemic in our California central valley region. Click on the images to blow them up or download them to your computer or mobile device.
Keep observing the simple yet proven habits of physical-distancing, mask-wearing, and frequent hand-washing, that will help drive down new infections and new deaths numbers, to a level low enough so as to give us a chance to reopen our schools for onsite education and thus, reopen our economy. Nothing else will work until we have a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine.
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.