Coronavirus updates: Clovis to enforce state orders with fines; Fresno extends shelter-in-place

Tulare County confirmed its eleventh death on Friday. The county now accounts for the majority of the deaths in the central San Joaquin Valley.

In all, the county has 203 positive cases as of Friday. That’s a jump of more than a dozen from the day prior.

The number of positive coronavirus cases in Fresno County continued its own daily double-digit rise on Thursday, with 17 new cases reported and a total number pushing toward 200.

Of those new cases, all but two were contracted via community spread, according to health officials. This month alone, the number of community-spread cases — those with no traceable contact point for the virus — increased from 11 cases to 58 cases as of Thursday.

So far, only 37 people have been hospitalized in Fresno County. There have been three deaths and 10 recoveries (those who’ve been laboratory cleared or cleared by non-laboratory methods).

Clovis to enforce social distance with fines, if needed

Clovis will enforce state and local stay-at-home orders with fines, if necessary.

The city announced new orders on Friday that would allow for a $1,000 administrative fine in lieu of a criminal prosecution of violations. Under the municipal code and state law, a violation of a local or state emergency order is a misdemeanor subject to six months in prison and a $1,000 fine.

This new orders allow the city to issue a citation without going through a lengthy and formal written warning process, though law enforcement will first issue verbal warnings and instruction to those who are found not complying with the emergency order. That includes those in large group gatherings or those operating a non-essential business.

Residents will not be stopped and questioned by law enforcement while driving or walking. Residents will not be stopped, warned or fined while running errands, going to or from work, or walking on sidewalks trails or parks, according to a new release from the city.

The fines would be a last resort for those who refuse to follow the warnings and instruction and continue to violate the emergency order, the release said.

The order was created as a mechanism for those who defiantly refuse to abide by lawful directives, Mayor Drew Bessinger said in an email to The Bee on Friday afternoon.

“We are confident that our citizens will always obey the laws of the land and the tenets of common sense,” Bessinger said.

For instance, while the city closed playground and picnic structures, it has left the parks open. If a group takes over a picnic structure that has been cordoned off, they would be contacted by a Clovis police officer and asked to leave. If they refuse, “even after pleading, cajoling, warning and negotiation,” a citation would then be issued, he said.

Fresno extends shelter-in-place order

Mayor Lee Brand announced Fresno would follow a similar protocol.

In updating the city’s shelter-in-place order on Friday, Brand announced Fresno may use police or code enforcement to penalize residents and businesses violating the order. The update directs essential businesses to enforce strict social distancing and sanitizing efforts, limiting the number of people who can enter businesses, requiring employees to wear face coverings and providing no-touch payment methods.

The shelter-in-place orders have been extended to May 6. The update to the order goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.

Fresno County Jail to release inmates under new rule

California’s Judicial Council has released an expanded list of no-bail, early-release offenses — including elder abuse and hit and run causing death — that the state’s jails must comply with by Monday, according to Fresno County Sheriff’s spokesman Tony Botti.

The order likely means that many people will walk out of jail by 5 p.m. Monday due to concerns that inmates are in an environment that leaves them exposed to the highly contagious coronavirus.

The exact number of inmates who will be cut loose Monday was not available Friday.

DMV, Sun-Maid workers test positive

An employee at the California Department of Motor Vehicles office in Reedley has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a message addressed to employees.

The employee received test results Thursday that confirmed they had contracted COVID-19, though the message did not state when the infected employee last worked at the DMV office or when the employee first showed any symptoms of the coronavirus.

It is also unclear how many DMV employees and customers might’ve come in contact with the worker who tested positive for the coronavirus. In its message to employees, the DMV suggested those who may have had contact with the infected worker should contact their local public health department for guidance and inform members who of their household and anyone who came in close contact about a potential exposure.

The Reedley field office was closed to allow for cleaning of the facility.

Similar experiences have been had with workers across the region. On Wednesday, employees at Fresno’s Amazon warehouse were notified that an employee had tested positive.

An machine operator at Sun-Maid raisins plan in Kingsburg was hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19. His last day of work was Saturday. The company was notified by family Thursday morning that the employee was hospitalized and tested positive for the novel coronavirus..

An employee at Los Banos food plant Kagome’s tested positive for coronavirus last week. The employee had not been at the facility for two week and contracted the virus while off work, the company said.

FUSD guidance on graduations, final grades

With Fresno school campuses closed until the end of the school year, Fresno Unified School District Superintendent Bob Nelson updated students and parents on graduations and how final grades will be issued.

Third-quarter grades will be the final grades for all students unless they choose to improve those grades, Nelson said. Seniors will have until May 22 to improve their scores, and all other students have until June 1. No grade will drop below third-quarter grades, Nelson said. Teachers will give out “A,” “B,” “C,” and “F” grades.

A “D” will be changed to a passing grade.

Tachi Palace UFC match called off

UFC isn’t coming to Tachi Palace Casino Resort in Lemoore, after all.

Earlier this week, UFC president Dana White had announced the resort casino would host multiple fights, including UFC 249. That fight was schedule for April 18. On Thursday, White told ESPN that “the powers that be” at ESPN and its owner, Disney, “asked me to stand down and not do this event.”

White did promise to bring a UFC event t Tachi Palace after shelter-in-place orders are lifted.

“I can tell you this, when we come back to California, our first event is going to be at Tachi Palace,” White told TMZ.

Will Nunes face lawsuits?

An activist group in Washington State is suing Fox for what it sees as a campaign to mislead viewers about the coronavirus. The suit leaves some wondering whether Rep. Devin Nunes – a congressman currently suing seven press organizations – will find himself on the receiving end of lawsuits if people in Fresno or Tulare get sick or die due to misinformation he allegedly helped spread.

Businesses close, reopen, and simply adjust

Businesses are hurting, yes, but they continue to get creative in how they adjust to serve customers. Some restaurants that were closed – The Revue, Mike’s Grill, Chef Paul’s — are reopening for take-out orders. Others, like Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse temporarily closed altogether. Stores like Home Depot, Whole Foods and Walmart and limiting the number of customers they allow inside at one time.

Maya Cinema is offering bags of movie popcorn to go.

Here is a fuller check of what Fresno some businesses are doing.

This story was originally published April 10, 2020 at 10:31 AM.