Fresno adds 2 deaths, 281 cases of COVID-19. Will police, sheriff enforce closures?
Fresno County reported two more deaths and 281 new cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday, the same day Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered several types of businesses to close.
The county now has 75 deaths and 5,289 positive cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.
The county reported 1,256 people have recovered from the illness, 23.7% of all coronavirus positive cases; 376 people have required hospitalization.
Fresno County was one of 19 counties ordered by Newsom to shut down restaurants for indoor dining before the Fourth of July weekend. The order covers major cities in Southern California and the Bay Area but also named the central San Joaquin Valley counties of Kings, Merced and Tulare.
Newsom also called on those counties to shut down indoor family entertainment venues including movie theaters, bowling alleys and arcades. Card rooms, indoor wineries and bars also have to shut down.
Restaurants will still be allowed to offer food for pick-up or delivery.
Local law enforcement plans
Fresno police will not enforce the orders, which has been the policy of Chief Andy Hall for much of the pandemic, according to Sgt. Jeff La Blue. Similarly, Fresno County Sheriff’s deputies won’t be asked to enforce the closure orders, a stance Sheriff Margaret Mims took weeks ago, according to spokesperson Tony Botti.
Mims released a statement on Thursday. “Even though the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office has concurrent jurisdiction in our cities, we do not have the resources to provide these services for them,” she said. “We have all been encouraging voluntary compliance. ... The governor of California is correct in urging voluntarily compliance, rather than strict enforcement of these guidelines.”
She said Fresno County Public Health Department is working with Alcoholic Beverage Control to enforce bar closures.
“Wearing a mask has been identified as an effective way to stop the spread of this virus,” she said. “I strongly recommend wearing a mask and I am encouraged to see more and more people doing so.”
But several state agencies will be enforcing other closures, Newsom said in his news conference Thursday. The state is forming a “strike force” of seven agencies that will enforce coronavirus-related regulations in workplaces, including the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
Fresno, Tulare and Kings counties have also issued – or planned to issue – their own public health orders regarding indoor dining and planned to enforce them.
Adding hospital beds
The state Office of Emergency Services announced Wednesday evening that it’s opening Porterville Developmental Center and three other alternate care sites in an effort to assist local hospital systems. As hospitalizations continue to rise, these alternative care sites will expand capacity and support additional acute care dedicated to COVID-19 patients, the state said.
Porterville will open with 50 beds but has a capacity of 402, the OES said in a news release.
A similar alternative care site was set up at the Fresno Convention Center but not used. It remains on standby.
Around the region
Tulare County reported two more deaths related to the coronavirus on Wednesday, pushing its total to 128. The number of positive cases rose from the day before by 167 to 4,323.
Merced County reported 67 new positive cases Wednesday; its total is 1,131. No new deaths were added to the total of 11.
Madera County’s total number of cases rose by 22 on Wednesday to reach 541 positive cases. The number of deaths remained stagnant at five.
Mariposa County added a single case to reach 27 total since the beginning of the pandemic. There has been one death there.
Kings County reported 87 new cases Wednesday, for a total of 2,504 to date; plus two new deaths, bringing the county to 32 total. Those cases include 1,146 associated with Avenal State Prison and two other state prisons in Corcoran, and nursing facilities.
The Sacramento Bee contributed to this report.
This story was originally published July 1, 2020 at 4:11 PM.
