Coronavirus updates: Fresno County just behind Tulare in total cases; Protesters at risk

The number of coronavirus cases reported in the central San Joaquin Valley increased by triple-digits again on Tuesday, even before several counties updated their stats.

Tulare County added 107 new cases in its Tuesday update. The county has now seen 2,004 positive cases and 89 deaths, with a recovery rate that now stands at just over 50 percent.

Fresno County on Monday reported 139 new positive cases and one new death. This brings the countywide case count to 1,882. Kings County added 15 cases Monday for a total of 1,137.

The six-county region has averaged 135 new cases daily over the past week.

Across the region, 5,454 positive cases have been reported.

More than 2,100 people have recovered and 140 have died.

When protests, pandemic converge

Massive protests have erupted across the county following the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota.

In Fresno, there were at least four major demonstrations over the weekend, including a protest at City Hall on Sunday that drew more than 3,000 people.

Health officials advised protesters to wear face masks — which are prevalent in many images of the protests — and try to stay as far apart as possible, but say the densely packed crowds (with people traveling in from outside the area) put protesters at risk for spreading (and contracting) the coronavirus.

“Shouting and cheering loudly, that does produce a lot of droplets and aerosolization that can spread the virus to people,” said Dr. James Phillips, a physician and assistant professor at George Washington University Hospital, CNN reported.

Changes coming for Fresno County students, parents and teachers

Last week, the Fresno County Office of Education released 28 pages of guidelines on how school campuses can safely reopen this fall.

It’s still up to each school district to decide how to implement any changes and most local districts haven’t finalized any plans yet, but they are looking at things like installing partitions or sneeze-guards, spreading out desks and closing down communal areas like playgrounds and cafeterias.

Children could bring their own lunches and have to eat in classrooms. Masks could be required for teachers and older students especially in settings where it’s more challenging to be six feet apart.

This report will be updated in coming weeks while the county office of education works with districts to get more input.

This story was originally published June 2, 2020 at 8:37 AM.