Coronavirus updates: Tulare County confirms 56 new cases, two deaths; Fresno nurses protest
A second nursing facility in Tulare County is experiencing an outbreak of coronavirus.
The county’s public health branch on Wednesday confirmed that 11 patients of Lindsay Gardens Nursing and Rehabilitation Facility have tested positive for COVID-19. State and County personnel were on-site Wednesday to conduct a site visit related to infection prevention.
In early April, eight people tested positive at the Redwood Springs Healthcare Center in Visalia. Within a week, that number had jumped to 76 people – 42 patients and 34 staff. As of Monday, six patients had died, three of them within one 24-hour period.
This comes as Tulare County saw a massive one-day jump of coronavirus cases..
In its daily update on Wednesday, the Tulare County Health and Human Service Agency confirmed 352 people have been infected. That is an increase of 56 cases from the prior day. Health official also confirmed two more people have died of coronavirus related illness, bringing the total number of deaths in the county to 15.
Both deaths were people more than 65 years old who contracted the virus at the Redwood Springs Healthcare Center in Visalia.
Seven people have now died in Fresno County after being diagnosed with the coronavirus.
The Fresno County Department of Health confirmed the deaths in its daily update on Tuesday. It also confirmed an additional 29 positive cases, the largest single-day increases in the county to date. There are now 251 positive cases.
Kings County on Tuesday night confirmed a 13th positive cases of coronavirus. The county has seen one related death and three people recover, according to health officials.
Fresno loses, resupplies emergency beds
The Fresno convention center lost more than half its emergency hospital beds this week as federal authorities shuffle medical supplies around the nation to combat coronavirus hotspots, county officials told The Bee.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers picked up 125 of the 250 hospital beds in Fresno to take to San Diego this week, according to Fresno County spokesman Jordan Scott. Community Regional Medical Center picked up another 50 beds to prepare for a possible surge in coronavirus patients.
But county officials say they will backfill the exhibit hall with a reserve of local beds already on hand. Those beds have been moved into the convention center and await set-up.
Suspect processed at Fresno jail has coronavirus
A man who was arrested Friday on auto theft charges and later released has tested positive for coronavirus. He may not know he is carrying the disease, Fresno County sheriff’s officials say.
Correctional staff at the Fresno County Jail, medical staff and the Fresno police officers who arrested the suspect have been notified about his positive test. The man was not placed in the jail, and officials were not aware of the positive test until Tuesday. It is also not known if the man is in quarantine.
A Fresno Police Department auto theft detective is sheltering in place after he possibly had contact with a suspect with positive symptoms, but it is unclear if the same suspect was involved.
Clovis Farmers Market reopens
The Clovis Saturday morning farmers market will reopen this weekend.
The year-round market, which runs from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Fifth Street and Pollasky Avenue, shut down temporarily last month. But with farmers wondering what to do with crops in their fields, organizers and vendors decided to reopen.
Farmers markets are on the list of essential businesses that may remain open in Clovis, which is in accordance with California state guidelines. The market – which is much smaller than the city’s seasonal Friday night farmers market – will have seven or eight vendors. There will be no DJ and no place to sit down. There will be a hand sanitizing and wash station, noted Lester. Vendors will wear masks and gloves.
Customers are asked to stay six feet apart from each other and bring only one person per family. They’re also asked to not to bring their own bags, but let vendors handle and bag the produce for them.
Nurses fear infection, protest outside Fresno’s Kaiser hospital
Nurses with the California Nurses Association union protested outside of Kaiser Permanente Fresno Medical Center on Tuesday, their faces covered, holding signs that said “Protect nurses, patients, public health.”
The union said as many as 70 registered nurses in the facility may have been exposed to the coronavirus. At least nine nurses have been infected with COVID-19, the union said, leading to at least three nurses having to be admitted into a hospital and one nurse ending up in critical care.
Hospital officials said 10 nurses have tested positive. Of those, seven were work-related cases.
Are you waiting for your stimulus check?
While the first wave of stimulus payments are being made, there’s a chance some in the Central Valley won’t see that money for weeks or even months.
Several cities in the region are ranked among the highest in the country (among major metropolitan areas) for residents receiving income tax refunds via paper check.
Visalia topped the list and Fresno was second, according to a new survey from MagnifyMoney, a money management website that looked at 2018 tax filing season data.
Those who got paper refund checks are more likely to get their new stimulus checks mailed rather than directly deposited. That could mean a wait of several weeks and even months. “Taxpayers in California are more likely to be left waiting for their stimulus checks,” MagnifyMoney reported, though the Internal Revenue Service is expected to set up an online portal as soon as this week that will allow people to provide their bank account information, expediting the stimulus payment.
Premier Valley Bank donates $100,000
Premier Valley Bank announced on Wednesday it will commit $100,000 to support four community initiatives related to the COVID-19 crisis.
The Fresno-based bank will give $25,000 contributions to the Fresno Rescue Mission, Valley Children’s Healthcare Foundation, Cornerstone Community Care and Fresno Police Chaplaincy. Funds for the Fresno Rescue Mission will be given through the Give Help Now campaign.
“This is an unprecedented time for businesses and families across California,” expressed Lo Nestman, President and CEO of Premier Valley Bank. “Our employees, clients, and community continue to come together to help one another during this crisis. It has reinforced how fortunate we are to live and work in California. On behalf of our amazing team at Premier Valley Bank, I am proud to support these important community relief efforts.”
Food drive at Sikh Temple in Selma
United Sikhs and the Sikh Temple in Selma are hosting a drive-thru food drive for people affected by the coronavirus. The event happens 10 a..m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at the temple, 10011 S. Golden State Boulevard in Selma. Organizers hope to distribute 60,000 pounds of food.
The group is still accepting donations of food or money. Call 559-269-8150 for more information.
More area Sun-Maid, DMV workers infected
A second worker at the Sun-Maid raisin processing plant in Kingsburg has tested positive for the coronavirus.
The worker was one of about a dozen employees who were exposed to the virus nearly two weeks ago. The workers were sent home and told to self-quarantine and contact their doctor if they began showing symptoms.
The exposure came from one of the cooperative’s machine operators who tested positive last week and has since been hospitalized.
An employee at the Fresno DMV office on Olive Avenue also tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a memo sent to office workers. In the email message to its Fresno DMV employees, the California Department of Motor Vehicles stated that the infected employee received results on Sunday that confirmed they had COVID-19, the coronavirus.
DMV offices have been closed to the public since March 27 but employees returned beginning April 2 for limited duties. An employee at the Olive Avenue office who spoke on condition of anonymity said that the infected worker was at work as recently as Friday.
It’s at least the second instance of a Fresno-area DMV worker tested positive for the coronavirus. A worker at the Reedley DMV office tested positive last week.
Is online education working?
As The Bee’s Education Lab continues its reporting on the transition to online an remote learning for students, it is looking for input from the the educators, parents and students who are experiencing it first hand. Do students have access to the tools they need to graduate or improve their grades? Do teachers have the tools to help your students.
Here is an online survey for those willing to share.
This story was originally published April 15, 2020 at 9:58 AM.