Coronavirus updates: Chukchansi casino to reopen June 1; Fresno County unemployment at 76K

The central San Joaquin Valley continued to see triple-digit growth in new coronavirus cases on Thursday, with large daily increases in Fresno, Tulare and Kings counties.

More than 100 people have now died of related illness, with two deaths reported in Fresno County and one in Tulare County on Thursday.

Tulare County confirmed an additional death in an update Friday. At least one death has been reported in the region each day this week.

The county added 438 new positive cases on Friday, bringing the county-wide total to 1,641 with 588 people recovered.

The total number of cases in the six-county region is pushing 4,000.

April unemployment at 16.7% in Fresno County

More than 76,000 people were out of work in April in Fresno County, following the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. It is a level of joblessness not seen in nearly a decade.

The unemployment rate in Fresno County was estimated at 16.7% in figures released Friday morning by the California Employment Development Department. That’s up from 11% in March, in the early stages of stay-at-home and business-closure orders aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19.

Since February, before the first coronavirus cases appeared in the central San Joaquin Valley, both the unemployment rate and the number of unemployed in Fresno County have nearly doubled.

Chukchansi sets June 1 as date for casino reopening

On Friday, Chukchansi Gold Resort and Casino announced it would start a first phase of reopening, June 1.

The casino will have limited capacity and 600 fewer slots machines. All tables will have a maximum seating of three per people, and touchless transactions will continue throughout the property. Additional sanitation procedures, social-distance practices and increased safety protocols re also in place “protect team members and guests.”

Hours will vary during the reopening to allow for the sanitizing of every room, machine, door handle, counter, lobby and open space, according to a new release.

Select restaurants on site will reopen following health guidelines, with limited menus and no buffet options. Restaurants will offer reduced seating, disposable menus and demonstrate increased spacing between tables and chairs.

Hotel rooms will not be available in the initial reopening and all promotional events, slot tournaments and concerts have been postponed.

Early this week, the casino postponed its annual summer concert series until 2021.

Millerton Lake boat ramp open

Millerton Lake will be open for Memorial Day Weekend, though public gatherings are not allowed and visitors are asked to practice physical distancing and avoid congregating with people outside their immediate households.

The Fresno County side of the park is open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., including day-use parking, boat launch and limited marina access.

Visitors will be asked to leave if there are too many people at the park, beach or on trails to allow for the required physical distance.

Counties get state OK to accelerate reopening

Fresno Mayor Lee Brand on Thursday announced the city would lift its shelter-in-place order next week. The order would have run through May 31.

Meanwhile, county officials announced that the state had accepted its approval to accelerate the reopening of dine-in restaurants, as long as those businesses conform to certain safety conditions. Other “non-essential” retail stores will also be able to reopen, but larger “destination” retail such as shopping malls or swap meets will remain closed for now.

Of the Valley counties, Kings, Madera, Mariposa and Merced have all gotten a green light from the state. Only Tulare County fell short of several of the state’s criteria, including its coronavirus case counts. But that county’s Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to move forward with reopening despite lacking state approval.

Which Fresno area restaurants are open now?

When restaurants do open, it won’t be to packed dining rooms with customers seated elbow-to-elbow on bar stools, congregating as they wait for tables.

The state has released 12 pages of guidelines that restaurants must follow. There will be far fewer people seated. Expect employees to wear masks and gloves and do lots of cleaning. Some restaurants may use temperature scan technologies on customers.

Brewpubs, breweries, bars, pubs, craft distilleries and wineries that don’t serve sit-down meals will remain closed for inside service.

Here is an updated list of the restaurant who have announced dine-in service.

What you need to know to get that Fresno State corn

Fresno State’s Gibson Farm Market announced on Thursday that the first ears would go on sale at 8 a.m. Monday. The news came with some caveats meant to dissuade the kind of mass fan fair that marked the event in year’s past.

The market will have a temporary booth set up outside for the first few days, for those looking to buy corn only. Pre-bagged corn will be available. A limited number of customers will be allowed inside Gibson Farm Market at a time and they will be asked to wear face masks while shopping, per government guidelines. The wait line will wrap around the store like past years, but with extra spacing to facilitate social distancing.

Only one person per group will be allowed to shop at a time, the market said.

Madera’s drive-in theater season kicks off

Madera 2 Drive-In opens for the season on Friday night with two double-features. Side A caters to families and kids, with “Trolls World Tour” and “Doolittle.” Side B features Rian Johnson’s whodunnit “Knives Out” and the political satire “The Hunt.” Both screenings start at dusk and feature an intermission between films. Admission is $10 for adults, $4 for kids 3-11 — and cash only.

The theater is one of the first mass entertainment options allowed to reopen and there some safety regulations. Attendance will be limited and movie goers must watch from inside their vehicles only, and wear masks when they leave the cars to visit the snack bar or rest rooms.

Bitwise hosts virtual culture fest

Fresno tech company Bitwise is bringing the festival experience home with its No Place Like Home Virtual Culture Fest.

The day-long event kicks off 9 a.m. Saturday and features a full lineup of musicians and DJs (including performances by Patrick Contreras, Zee Will and Hope Garcia) plus presentations, a virtual marketplace for vendors and food and restaurant tie-ins.

“Humans have a need for connection,” says Talisha Brantley, the community liaison at Bitwise Industries.

“And social distance doesn’t have to mean social isolation.”

This story was originally published May 22, 2020 at 8:16 AM.