Good evening,

July 13, 2020 -- For six out of the last seven days, the world has counted over 200,000 new infections per day, including today, adding up to 1,498,680 new COVID-19 global infections and 34,926 related deaths in the last week. Yesterday, India set a new daily record of almost a thousand cases above today's report of 28,179 new infections. South Africa also reached its highest daily report two days ago, ending today with 11,554 almost two thousand below Saturday's record. Unlike India, South Africa's single-day and overall positivity rates (+ rate) are both well above spread control levels, indicating the country is severely under testing and strongly suggest a vast number of the country's residents are infected but do not yet know it. Many other countries have the same problem: Mexico (41.14% + rate), Qatar (24.98% + rate), Argentina (21.48% + rate), Ecuador (37.33% + rate), Peru (16.98% + rate), Oman (23.77% + rate), Bolivia (45.23% + rate). Unfortunately, not all countries regularly report their testing data and, assuming the reported information is reliable, the countries named above will not control their coronavirus spread until they are able to establish a massive testing infrastructure, without which, they will be unable to truly understand the extent of the pandemic spread within their borders.

*:incomplete data set

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Note: Please forgive the occasional typos. I write these reports at the end of the work day and I have seen typos creep in undetected by my tired evening eyes. I hope they do not bother you as much as they annoy me.

After three days of improving daily COVID-19 cases, the US ends today with a second worst day, leading the world with 65,377 daily cases on its way to pass 3.5 million infections tomorrow.

Yesterday, Florida announced its highest one-day report of 15,300 new cases, 4,000 more cases than any other state record, anywhere in the nation. Today's number (+12,624), although lower than yesterday's, is still above any other state's record. Texas and Florida have switched ranking positions and Florida is now ranked third behind California and New York. Texas had a better day yesterday, lowering its count to +6,121, but bounced back up today to +9.071 new cases. Texas also lost 80 of its residents to the coronavirus in today's highest state fatality report. Also troubling is the state of Washington, which had a new peak today, its second in July, months after it appeared to have controlled its spread (the previous peak in Washington was on April 4). Tennessee also peaked today and many other smaller states' high reports contributed to today's high national update.

The Madera County Department of Public Health announced this evening that " Due to the new CalCONNECT system and how information is pulled we will now be reporting for the prior day' -- this must be a trend, as Fresno County announced this evening that it will only update the county's COVID-19 dashboard on Tuesdays and Fridays, per the Fresno Bee . I take both decisions as unfortunate and disappointing because in the COVID-19 fluid situation, I feel it is best to publish updates more often than less. Fresno's decision is particularly troubling because it is leading the seven counties we have been monitoring and is currently one of the main worrisome hot spots in California. I will publish a seven-county data update tomorrow.

Yesterday, Madera County added 51 new cases and announced one additional death today, bringing our county's total to 963 cases and 9 deaths.

Madera COVID-19*