Virus update: November 27, 2020

MERCED (BLJ) – Lamentable news in Merced County. The positivity rate of infection has risen to 8 percent over seven day’s average. Two weeks ago it was less than 7 percent. The number of deaths is now 179.

California has a 6.1-percent infection rate over seven days; 19,076 people have died of virus-related illness (51 new).

The death count in the United states has reached 268,487 (1,521 new).

The global death count is 1,442,921 (10,874 new).

We notice that Merced’s infection rate is nearly 2 percentage points higher than the state average. Los Angeles has about a 7-percent rate. Riverside County reports a 12.7-percent rate of infection over the last 14 days. Imperial County has a 15.6-percent rate average over the last seven days. Tulare County’s adjusted average rate of infection over seven days is 17.6 percent.  Kern County has a 15.6 percent recent infection rate.

Marin County, in stark contrast, reports a 1.5-percent infection rate average over the last seven days.

It’s clear that Covid-19 is a poor person’s disease, at least in California. It is also associated with farm labor, an essential industry where protection against the virus is difficult.