Coronavirus updates: Tulare County now has 25 deaths; Fresno gets funding for tests, PPE
More California cities and counties are calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to loosen the stay-at-home order he handed down last month so they can begin the process of reopening their communities for business.
Included on that list are seven out of nine Stanislaus County cities and every mayor in San Luis Obispo County plus two of its county supervisors.
Newsom has warned that the state is not yet safe from the virus, after seeing an increase in positive tests (7.4 percent), hospitalizations (3.3 percent), intensive care unit visits (3.8 percent) and deaths (5 percent) across the state on Tuesday.
Increases were seen regionally, as well.
In Tulare County, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases is growing at a slower pace than in past weeks, based on daily updates from health officials, even as the number of deaths continues to rise.
On Wednesday, Tulare County Health and Human Services agency confirmed three new coronavirus related deaths. A total of seven deaths have been reported this week, alone. Twenty-five people have now died of related illness in the county since the outbreak began.
Tulare County has the highest mortality rate in the central San Joaquin Valley region; more than three times higher than that of Fresno County and above the state average of 3.2 deaths per 100,000 people.
In Fresno County, the coronavirus case count increased by 20 on Tuesday to 371 cases. The number of related deaths remains at seven.
Fresno will see nearly $200 million for testing, PPE
The updates came with news that the area will receive more than $170 million for coronavirus testing and protective equipment as part of the third round of federal stimulus funding. The county hopes a next round of funding will help the county cover lost revenues from sales and property taxes.
Neighborhood becomes coronoavirus party spot
Sky Harbour Road near Millerton Lake has become the unwitting hosts of Fresno’s biggest coronavirus party.
The remote dead-end street built alongside a sprawling reservoir has easy access to state park facilities and hiking trails and has long been a party hot spot with lots of traffic, drinking and more. According to residents, things have gone from bad to worse in recent weeks, with 500-600 people showing up one Sunday.
“It’s our ongoing nightmare,” longtime resident Doreen Carter said, “and each week it gets worse.”
Cash from college for some Fresno-area students
Some students in the Fresno area may be getting some emergency cash relief from their colleges soon.
Federal money from the CARES Act, signed into law in March, is being allocated to local colleges and half of the funds must be given as emergency financial aid relief to students, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Fresno State will receive over $32 million, Fresno City College $11 million, and Fresno Pacific University $4 million. The money is part of nearly $14 billion set to go to higher education institutions in the country after the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act passed on March 25.
Drive-thru churches OK’ed; reaction is mixed
As of this week, drive-in church will be an option in Fresno, according to court records recently filed by the California attorney general. A federal lawsuit filed by a nonprofit civil liberties group challenged the state’s shelter-in-place order, saying it infringed on rights to freedom of religion.
Attorney General Xavier Becerra defended the state’s shelter-in-place order in documents submitted to the U.S. Eastern District Court, but left room for drive-in churches, which operate like drive-in movies with attendees parked and in their cars during the service.
Fresno Councilmember Garry Bredefeld called the decision a “small victory,” while calling for churches to be allowed to open in a more robust fashion. Health officials have been hesitant to encourage drive-in style churches and other functions.
Future of sports in question at Fresno State
Fresno State President Joseph Castro left open the possibility of eliminating some Bulldog sports programs as the school’s athletics department struggles with declining revenues related to the coronavirus
“We have already imposed a pause on virtually all new hiring and ceased all business travel and event expenses for the foreseeable future. Other options for reducing costs will be considered in the coming weeks and months,” he said in statement on Tuesday.
Fresno State, which restored wrestling and added women’s water polo in 2015, currently has 21 sports programs, among the most in the Mountain West Conference and more than some Power Five conference schools.
This story was originally published April 22, 2020 at 8:12 AM.