The Central Valley is seeing a new COVID-19 surge, with the region posting some of the highest rates of test positivity in the state.
Some 18.4% of coronavirus tests are showing up positive across the Central Valley’s 11 counties, from San Joaquin County in the north to Kern County in the south, according to data from the California Department of Public Health.
The department’s California COVID-19 Dashboard indicates the latest numbers — for the week ending Aug. 23, the most recent data available — are the highest positivity rate in the Central Valley in at least three years and part of an overall increase across the state…