Cases on rise, but ‘stable;’ patients transferred to PDC site

While the number of COVID-19 cases in Tulare County rose considerably over the weekend, the state is reporting the increase in cases is more stable, according to its model.

Tulare County Health and Human Services reported a large increase in cases in Tulare County over the weekend. The department reported on Monday there have now been 5,009 COVID-19 cases in Tulare County. That’s an increase of nearly 400 cases over the 4,627 that were reported on Friday.

But despite the large increase in cases, the state model which measures the rate of increase — its R-eff value, has actually stabilized in Tulare County. Tulare County’s R-eff value has fallen considerably to 1.01, which is considered “likely stable.”

And the department reported the number of active cases in the county has now soared to 1,544. That’s an increase of more than 300 from the 1,121 reported on Friday.

But the number of hospitalizations in the county did remain virtually the same at 78. There were 77 hospitalizations reported on Friday. Of the 78 hospitalizations, 11 were in intensive care. The department also reported the number of nursing home cases remained the same at 487.

The department reported the number of recoveries increased by nearly 60 over the weekend. The department reported on Monday the number of people who tested positive for COVD19 and have recovered is now at 3,329, an increase over the 3,270 that was reported on Friday.

The department reported the number of deaths in Tulare County remained the same at 136. The state model projects Tulare County to have 260 deaths by August 5.

And while the county didn’t report any more deaths on Monday, Sierra

View Medical Center reported it had two more deaths as of 4:30 p.m. Monday, bringing the total number of deaths due to COVID-19 at the hospital to 20.

Sierra View also reported a continued surge of COVID-19 cases with 115 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 26 inpatient COVID-19 cases. The hospital reported 7 of its 10 ICU beds are in use.

As of Sunday, Sierra View has had 2,725 tests conducted while there have been 11,752 tests conducted at the Tulare County testing lab.

The county also reported a slight decrease in the number of people in Tulare County who are in self-quarantine and being monitored by public health officials at 981, down from 985.

There have now been 714 cases in the Porterville area. In Visalia, there have been 626 cases in one region, 420 cases in another region and 450 cases in a third region.

The official tally for Lindsay is 236 cases. There have been 733 cases in Tulare and 656 cases in Dinuba.

There have been 28 cases in Terra Bella, 53 cases in Strathmore, nine cases in foothill/ mountain communities, 13 cases in Richgrove, 208 cases in Earlimart, 18 cases in Tipton, 67 cases in Exeter, 16 cases in Goshen, 29 cases in Traver, 208 cases in Orosi, 53 cases in Woodlake, 11 cases in the Reedley are and 11 cases in Orange Cove.

The vast majority of those affected remain Hispanic. There have been 2,544 cases in the county who are Hispanic, 543 are caucasian, 92 are Asian, 25 are African-american, 11 are Native American, 47 are multi-race and 1,748 are unknown.

There have been 583 cases ages 0-17, 754 cases ages 18-25, 1,335 cases ages 26-40, 1,588 cases ages 41-64 and 749 cases ages 65 and older.

Sixty-three cases were reported as travel-related, 1,993 cases are due to person-to-person contact and 2,953 cases are under investigation.

Tulare County’s doubling time — the amount of days it would take for cases to double which measures how flat the curve of cases is — also remains stable at 20.1 days.

With a population of about 470,000 people, Tulare County has about 1 case per 100 residents, or 1 percent.

SIERRA VIEW SENDS PATIENTS TO PDC

Three COVID-19 patients were transferred over the weekend from Sierra View Medical Center to the Porterville Developmental Center alternative care site, now referred to as the Porterville Alternative Care Site, or PACS.

“SVMC was able to send one patient on Saturday and two patients on Sunday to the Porterville Alternative Care Site at the Porterville Development Center,” said Dr. Jeffery Hudsoncovolo, SVMC vice president for Patient Care Services and CNO.

Hudson added criteria for transfer is stable patients who are in need of inpatient services. “A screening tool and information is sent from SVMC to the State Transfer Center,” he said. “There is a coordinated effort by the State Transfer Center and SVMC to prioritize patients for movement to the alternative site. This process is supporting the need for SVMC to free up acute care beds for admissions to the hospital for persons with the coronavirus.”

Hudson added it was planned for three more patients to be sent to the PDC alternative care site on Monday.

“The care management team at SVMC is in ongoing communication with the State Transfer Center for patients in the queue to be transferred to the PACS.”