Virus note: October 7, 2020

October 7, 2020

Merced (BLJ) – Merced County Public Health Department reported today 149 total deaths from Covid-19,  an increase of four deaths in a week, and 21 new cases.

The County also reports a 3.7-percent positive infection rate “in the last seven days,” but still the overall rate of infection in the county is 16.04 percent since it began testing. Badlands confesses it is not quite sure what this figure means in terms of actual infections. As extremely important economically and politically as it is, it cannot be more than an approximate figure at a particular moment even in such a small county  as Merced. This is why we prefer to stick with the mortality figures which we believe count cases where Covid was at least a contributing cause. If every person in the county were tested on the same day, we would get a pretty exact figure, but just for that day.

California reported 16,358 deaths, and increase of 107.

The United States reported 214,947 deaths, an increase of 1,485.

The global count for the day was 1,055,815 deaths, an increase of 5,972.

Stanislaus County reported 379 deaths, an increase of 2.

Madera County reported 70 deaths, with no report on the daily increase.

Mariposa County reported 2 deaths.

San Benito County reported 13 deaths, an increase of 1.

Canada reported 9,541 deaths, an increase of 11.

Mexico reported 82,726 deaths, an increase of 378.