Fresno County nears 500 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, officials report
Fresno County reported nearly 40 new cases of coronavirus on Monday, including cases confirmed over the weekend. The total number of cases confirmed is close to 500.
The number of active cases from those confirmed rose to 320, with 171 people recovered, the county reported. The county reported 19 people tested positive Sunday and 18 on Monday. The numbers were updated on the county’s public health website.
A majority of Fresno County cases are from community spread and close contact, according to county data. Most of those infected are between the ages of 18-49.
Health officials are trying to decide how to improve screening after the Centers for Disease Control added six new symptoms to those shown by COVID-19, the new disease caused by the coronavirus. New symptoms to look out for include headaches and shivers.
Fresno County Interim Health Director Rais Vohra said the county is planning new testing centers that could test up to 100 people per day and provide quicker results. He also said during a regular update on coronavirus Monday that the county is in talks with the state to do surveillance testing following new developments around the virus.
The surveillance testing would help health officials possibly identify other viral infections while monitoring those with COVID-19 symptoms. Vohra said it would also help medical experts understand how viruses behave in different seasons if they are tracked over time.
Angst over virus’ impact
City leaders on Monday showed there is continued anxiety over the coronavirus as health officials continued to monitor the spread.
As Fresno public schools face a nosedive in tax revenue -- about 100 million in losses for Fresno Unified -- Superintendent Bob Nelson announced in a video news conference there will not be physical graduations in June. Fresno and Clovis schools are planning events for August, if possible, under public health guidelines.
Meanwhile, Fresno City Councilmember Mike Karbassi has called for the city to reopen for small businesses on May 7. He said the coronavirus threat hasn’t faded, but small companies struggle to compete with big-box stores that have operated since shelter orders.
The City of Fresno itself reported late last week that the budget faces a dip of about $39 million for the rest of the fiscal year and through the next year. The city is operating on a $1 billion budget in the current fiscal year.
There are talks of reopening the city, and that includes a task force created by Mayor Lee Brand. After some scrutiny for lack of diversity, a Hmong, Punjabi and African-American representative was added to the committee.
The mayor said the backgrounds of the committee members were diverse, and the committee “will likely be the most important committee that most of us have ever served on.”
Other counties
Valleywide, the number of coronavirus cases has reached more than 1,200. Tulare County has now recorded 538 positive cases as of Monday, with just under 100 of those recovered.
Some of the positive cases include those of another outbreak at a nursing facility. Ten people are infected with the virus at Linwood Meadows Care Center in Visalia.
The facility is owned by the same company that owns Redwood Springs Healthcare Center, which has been the epicenter of an outbreak in Visalia. Two nursing facilities in Fresno County have also experienced positive coronavirus cases.
Madera County reported 15 active cases and 27 recovered so far, a total of 44 cases since first reporting. Two new cases were reported over the weekend, and three on Monday.
Kings County, as of Monday, has recorded 71 positive cases, and nine people have recovered since the first case came to light. On Sunday, officials at the Central Valley Meat Company said several employees had tested positive for the coronavirus.
They are under quarantine and were identified to the Kings County Public Health Department after the plant’s daily pre-screening process.
This story was originally published April 27, 2020 at 3:54 PM.
