Coronavirus updates: National parks set for phased reopening; Case surge in Kings County

The central San Joaquin Valley saw its largest one-day increase in reported coronavirus cases over the weekend.

Nearly 400 new cases were reported on Sunday in Kings County, where an outbreak at Avenal State Prison has pushed the total number of cases in the county to triple digits. Of those active cases, 592 are among inmates at the prison. The county also reported another coronavirus-related death Sunday. So far, five people have died in the county due to COVID-19.

Tulare County reported five new deaths on Monday. Eighty-nine people in the county have now died from related illness.

Across the region, 139 people have died of related illness, including 35 in Fresno County. Kings, Madera, Mariposa and Merced counties have each reported less than 10 deaths.

The total number of coronavirus cases in the six counties has now exceeded 5,000. Tulare County, which added 53 new cases on Monday, continues to have the most cases (1,897). Fresno County has 1,743, though Saturday.

Fresno County: Public, hospitals still at risk

Health officials in Fresno County continue to call for residents to heed health advisories to wear masks and maintain physical distancing, even as the country has reopened most businesses.

Not doing so could threaten the progress that the Valley has made in containing the coronavirus. While area hospitals haven’t seen an overwhelming number of coronavirus patients, that could change if there is a large surge.

The risk is particularly acute for those more than 65 years old. While the largest proportion of cases are outside this age range, the number of hospitalizations and deaths have been far more prevalent among older patients – particularly those who already had other health problems before they were infected with the coronavirus.

The average age of those who died in Fresno County was 76. All but five of the deaths had prior comorbid illnesses, according to Fresno County interim health officer Dr. Rais Vohra.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks reopening

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks will increase recreational access to include roads, trails, restrooms, and picnic areas, beginning June 4.

The parks have been closed to visitors since March 25, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The initial phase of reopening will include increased access to entrance stations and roads and parking lots throughout both parks. Visitors should only park in designated parking spaces. Restrooms, picnic areas and trails in developed areas and designated wilderness will be opened to visitors, though the park urges people to be aware of congested.

Overnight wilderness access will be available with reservations only. No walk-up permits will be available this summer.

Overnight campground accommodations will be opened at a later date, along with the visitor centers, bookstores, ranger stations and wilderness permit stations. Overnight lodging, restaurants, markets and gift shops, along with the guided horse back tours are unavailable and will reopened at a later phase.

The Sequoia Shuttle will not be in operation this summer.

31 downtown businesses split $54,000 in grants

The Downtown Fresno Foundation announced 31 small businesses that will receive grants as part of the Re-Start Downtown Fresno Grant Program.

The grants, ranging from $1,000 to $2,500, are intended to help offset business-related expenses incurred by the city’s shelter in place order. These grants were made possible with initial funding from the Central Valley Community Foundation (CVCF) and JP Morgan Chase; and additional support from Wells Fargo, the Fresno Grizzlies, and other private donations.

The businesses receiving the grants include restaurants, breweries and bars, retailers and salons and barber shops. In total, the businesses have seen 75% decrease in sales since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, according to a new release.

About 87% of these businesses are minority or women-owned, and collectively these businesses have over 182 employees.

“The Re-Start Downtown Grant will provide immediate relief to small businesses in extreme distress as a result of this pandemic. Like many areas across the Central Valley, business owners in downtown Fresno have witnessed a significant drop in revenue, reduction of employees, and are experiencing irreversible operational change,” said Hannah Johnson McAbee, Director of Local Philanthropy at CVCF.

Downtown Fresno church reopens

Cornerstone Church kicked off its first in-person services in months with two Sunday services.

In doing so, the downtown Fresno church defied state limitations on how many people could attend services and a county guideline on singing.

The services were not without precautions.

The church limited its capacity to 350, with preregistered, staggered seating. Congregants over 65 and those with a compromised immune system or other underlying health problems were asked to stay home. Singing was done with masks on, and the sanctuary was cleaned between the services.

This story was originally published June 1, 2020 at 9:14 AM.