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

December 8, 2020 -- Today, Turkey broke its daily record of new cases and new deaths, and will become the 15th nation having tallied over 1 million covid-19 infections by the end of this week. Today's global death toll is the 3rd highest and the world has added 4,353,563 new cases in the last week, with a growing daily average of 621,938 positive tests over the last seven days. The global daily average of new deaths is now 10,855: one person dies of COVID-19 every 8 seconds.

Today, England started its vaccination program with its first "jab" given to 90-year-old Margaret Keenan, less than a week after the UK became the first country to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. Morocco is also about to launch its own free COVID-19 vaccination program, aiming to reach 80% of its population, using a Chinese vaccine manufactured by SinoPharm and another vaccine by Britain's Oxford University and AstraZeneca.

COVID-19 in the world today:

  • COVID-19 Global cases: 68,549,336 (+583,822)
  • COVID-19 Global deaths: 1,562,070 (+11,698)
  • COVID-19 Global death rate: 2.28%
  • COVID-19 Global testing*: 1,068,991,005 confirmed tests (+12,379,325) peak
  • COVID-19 Global positivity rate: 6.41%
  • COVID-19 Global single-day positivity rate: 4.72%

*: 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.
UK starts virus campaign with a shot watched round the world | apnews.com
LONDON (AP) — A nurse rolled up 90-year-old Margaret Keenan’s sleeve and administered a shot watched round the world -– the first jab in the U.K.’s COVID-19 vaccination program kicking off an unprecedented global effort to try to end a pandemic that has killed 1.5 million people.

Keenan, a retired shop clerk from Northern Ireland who celebrates her birthday next week, was at the front of the line at University Hospital Coventry to receive the vaccine that was approved by British regulators last week.

The U.K. is the first Western country to deliver a broadly tested and independently reviewed vaccine to the general public. The COVID-19 shot was developed by U.S. drugmaker Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech. U.S. and European Union regulators may approve it in the coming days or weeks.

“All done?” Keenan asked nurse May Parsons. “All done,” came the reply, as hospital staff broke into applause and also clapped for her as she was wheeled down a corridor.

“I feel so privileged to be the first person vaccinated against COVID-19,” said Keenan, who wore a surgical mask and a blue “Merry Christmas” T-shirt with a cartoon penguin in a Santa hat. “It’s the best early birthday present I could wish for because it means I can finally look forward to spending time with my family and friends in the New Year after being on my own for most of the year.”
Turkey COVID-19 data

  • global rank: 1
  • 893,630 cases (+33,198) peak
  • 15,314 deaths (+211) peak
  • 20,089,966 tests (+201,219)
  • positivity rate 4.45%
  • 24hr positivity rate: 16.50%
Canada COVID-19 data

  • global rank: 28
  • 423,054 cases (+7872) peak
  • 12,777 deaths (+112)
  • 12,069,527 tests (+91,964)
  • positivity rate 3.51%
  • 24hr positivity rate: 8.56%
In the US
36 states reported at least 1,000 new COVID-19 infections in the last 24 hours. Today the nation reported 208,121 new infections and covid-19 killed 2,913 Americans in the last 24 hours. A record 104,600 covid-19 patients are now hospitalized in the United States. The numbers are worsening every day: the hospitalization numbers never broke 60,000 during the first two waves. November 2020 was the most infectious month of the pandemic with almost 4.5 million new confirmed covid-19 cases in the US. December has already confirmed 1,655,239 new covid-19 infections and is on track to reach 6 million new cases by new year's eve.
Arizona COVID-19 deaths

  • national rank: 15
  • 378,157 cases (+12,314) peak
  • 6,973 deaths (+23)
  • 2,780,498 tests (+20,398)
  • positivity rate 13.60%
  • 24hr positivity rate 60.37%
Ohio COVID-19 data

  • national rank: 7
  • 510,018 cases (+12,720) peak
  • 7,109 deaths (+87)
  • 6,554,107 tests (+52,083)
  • positivity rate 7.78%
  • 24hr positivity rate: 24.42%
White House report says vaccines won’t alter pandemic trajectory until late spring | washingtonpost.com
As President Trump celebrated his administration’s “incredible success” in speeding the development of coronavirus vaccines Tuesday, a report prepared by the White House coronavirus task force warns that the shots will not alter the course of the pandemic in the United States until well into next year.

“The current vaccine implementation will not substantially reduce viral spread, hospitalizations, or fatalities until the 100 million Americans with comorbidities can be fully immunized, which will take until the late spring,” notes the report, part of a weekly rundown of data and recommendations sent to governors and obtained by The Washington Post.

Vaccines approved by the Food and Drug Administration are expected to provide robust individual protection against infection, as review documents posted Tuesday about the two-dose regimen developed by Pfizer and German firm BioNTech affirm. The note of caution from the president’s medical advisers, however, reflects the current out-of-control spread of the virus, as well as manufacturing and distribution challenges that will limit vaccine supply for a number of months.
COVID-19 in the USA

  • Cases: 15,591,709 (+208,121)
  • Deaths: 293,398 (+2,913)
  • Death rate: 1.88%
  • Testing: 211,192,600 individual tests (+1,696,144)
  • Positivity rate 7.38%
  • Single-day positivity date: 12.27%
US top 5 infected states:

  1. California: 1,422,444 COVID-19 cases, 20,258 deaths
  2. Texas: 1381,360 COVID-19 cases, 23,534 deaths
  3. Florida: 1,073,770 COVID-19 cases, 19,402 deaths
  4. Illinois: 804,174 COVID-19 cases, 14,384 deaths
  5. New York: 761,795 COVID-19 cases, 35,188 deaths
In California
California's new daily cases peaked again today.

  • COVID-19 California cases: 1,422,444 (+25,991)
  • COVID-19 California deaths: 20,258 (+209) PEAK
  • COVID-19 California death rate: 1.42%
  • COVID-19 California testing: 25,789,775 individual tests (+296,424)
  • COVID-19 California positivity rate: 5.52%
  • COVID-19 California single-day positivity rate: 8.77%
In the Central Valley
The Madera County Department of Public Health COVID-19 Update:

12/8/2020 COVID-19 UPDATE: Reporting 137 cases from the public and 35 from Valley State Prison and 2 from the Central California Woman’s Facility (total 174 cases), bringing the total number of reported cases to 7,115. We also regret to report 17 additional deaths.
Of the 7,115:
  • 1,514 active case (including 19 Madera County residents hospitalized in Madera County)
  • 5,494recovered (22 released from isolation)

107 deceased (17 additional deaths)
  1. female, 90s, underlying health conditions  
  2. male, 80s, underlying health conditions
  3. male, 70s, no underlying health conditions
  4. female, 70s, underlying health conditions
  5. female, 70s, underlying health conditions
  6. male, 60s, underlying health conditions
  7. male, 60, underlying health conditions
  8. male, 60s, underlying health conditions
  9. male, 60s, underlying health conditions
  10. male, 50s, underlying health conditions
  11. female, 50s, no underlying health conditions
  12. male, 50s, no underlying health conditions
  13. male, 40s, underlying health conditions
  14. male, 40s, underlying health conditions
  15. male, 40s, underlying health conditions
  16. male, 60s, no underlying health condition 
  17. male, 70s, no underlying health conditions

  • Reporting 17 previously uncounted deaths. The date of deaths for those being reported today range from July 2020 – November 2020.
  • •Death information has traditionally been obtained from the coroner or facilities who voluntarily report to us. However, there is not a mandate requiring facilities to report COVID-19 deaths which leads to inconsistent reporting, delays, missed and uncounted cases. 
  • In order to increase accuracy, Madera County has now moved to reporting deaths based on vital records reports (death certificates) pulled from the state. The deaths reported today are based upon these reports and account for all previously uncounted deaths to-date. 
  • Moving forward, this change will increase the delay in reporting deaths but will ensure accuracy and that deaths are not missed. Deaths will now be reported once per week based upon the vital records report from the state.
  • As always, reported deaths have COVID-19 listed as a cause of death and have a confirmed positive COVID-19 PCR test result.
  • Keep in mind that date of death and not date of reporting is what is important for understanding the burden of disease. Again, this is because date of reporting is an unreliable metric that can vary. Madera County will be releasing a graph that plots date of deaths for COVID-19 confirmed deaths this week.  
  • MCDPH continues to make changes as needed to data collection and reporting methods to ensure the most accurate information is available to the public and partners. 
Madera County is averaging 110 new cases per day (69 per 100K), with 769 new cases revealed over the last 7 days. We need to get down to an average of 11 cases per day or 77 cases over 7 days to switch from purple to red (from "widespread" to "substantial" contagion risk).

Today, the seven local counties together reported 2,884 new infections and 25 new coronavirus deaths. In the combined 7 counties, COVID-19 has infected 145,274 people and has killed 1,686 residents of our region since it claimed its first central valley victim, in Madera, on March 26, 2020.

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: 165 cases (+3), 4 deaths (+1), 9,558 tests, 1.67+%
  • Merced: 13,851 cases (+214), 198 deaths (+45), 83,184 tests, 16.55+%
  • Madera: 7,115 cases (+175) PEAK, 107 deaths (+17) PEAK, 105,610 tests, 6.74+%
  • Fresno: 41,460 cases (420), 506 deaths, 483,020 tests, 8.58+%
  • Tulare: 23,662 cases (+805), 319 deaths (+2), est. 236,620 tests, 10.00+%
  • Kings: 12,624 cases (+212), 951 deaths, 168,864 tests, 7.48+%
  • Kern: 46,397 cases (+1,055), 457 deaths (+1), 281,470 tests, 16.48+%

COVID-19 in the 7 counties together

  • 7 counties cases: 145,274 (+2,884)
  • 7 counties deaths: 1,686 (+25)
  • 7 counties death rate: 1.16%
  • 7 Counties tests: 1,368,626 (est.)
  • 7 Counties positivity rate: 10.61%
Multiple Central CA counties reach 0% ICU capacity, CA Department of Public Health says | abc30.com
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The California Department of Public Health announced Fresno, Madera, and Kings Counties have reached 0% ICU Capacity as the COVID-19 outbreak continues.

Merced County currently has seven beds available, which is 20.6% of its ICU capacity, and Tulare has eight beds, which is 12.5% of the county's capacity. Mariposa County does not have an ICU unit.

This announcement comes as, on Tuesday, the Fresno City Council prepares to vote on an ordinance that would prohibit gatherings of 15 people or more.

The vote, which is expected to take place during a 4 pm special city council meeting, would introduce an emergency amendment to the Fresno Municipal Code that make gatherings of 15 or more people a fineable offense.

Fresno County is part of the San Joaquin Valley region, which went into Gov. Gavin Newsom's stay-home on Sunday. It will last at least three weeks as the region's ICU capacity fell under 15%.

As of Tuesday, the San Joaquin Valley region's ICU capacity currently sits at 5.3%, according to the state.
Keep observing the simple yet proven safety 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.

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