Coronavirus update: No Big Fresno Fair concerts this year; Clovis cites restaurants

Nearly 20,000 people have been infected with the coronavirus across the six counties in the central San Joaquin Valley.

Last week, the region hits 10,000 active cases and, as of Friday, had added an average of 539 cases each day for the last two weeks.

That’s up more than 150 daily cases from the beginning of the month.

Tulare County added 264 cases on Monday, which includes numbers for the weekend. Fresno County, in an update Saturday, added 376 new positive cases and one related death. The rate of positive tests in the county stands at 10.1%. The death rate among people who get the virus is 1%, with 88 people who have died, according to county health officials..

Across the region, 300 people have died of illness related to the coronavirus. Just over half of those deaths occurred in Tulare County.

Infections trending younger

In the two weeks from June 25 through July 8, Fresno County saw a 67% increase in the number of people with confirmed coronavirus cases being treated in hospitals.

But who is the coronavirus affecting most?

In the early stages of the pandemic, COVID-19 was mostly striking older residents in Fresno County. Almost 70% of the people whose deaths are attributable to the coronavirus have been age 65 or older. But as testing increases, and more people resume activities after local and state shelter-in-place orders have been loosened, the infection is trending younger.

As of Thursday, children under 18 who have tested positive for the virus to date outnumber senior citizens by a ratio of about 3-to-2 and the majority of those infected – more than 6 out of 10 – are in the 18-to-49 age range. People under the age of 50 account for 75% of all infections.

No concerts at Big Fresno Fair this year

Concerts will not be part of The Big Fresno Fair this year.

The fair announced on Monday that its annual concert series — which had already booked Becky G., Ezra Ray Hart, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and the Isley Brothers — could not get needed approval from the Fresno County Department of Public Health.

Refunds will automatically be issued beginning July 15, though they may take up to 10 days to show on the credit card.

Fair management and staff are working with the Fresno County Department of Public Health on modifications to make sure that the fair will continue this year, even with the Paul Paul Theater dark.

“The Big Fresno Fair is our community’s fair. We are committed to being here for our community in some capacity and will continue to find ways to connect, give back and keep part of the Fair tradition alive, while upholding the health and safety of our Fairgoers, staff and community,” said Stacy Rianda, a fair deputy manager.

House of JuJu and Luna’s cited

Two Clovis restaurants were cited recently for allowing customers to eat inside, a violation of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s orders to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Fresno County was among the counties affected by the state of California’s crackdown as the rising numbers of positive cases.

House of JuJu and Luna’s Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant each received misdemeanor citations from the California Department of Beverage Control on Friday. The ABC is part of multi-agency strike team the governor assembled to enforce the dining rules.

The restaurant owners have to appear in Superior Court on Sept. 22. If they ignore the citation and don’t show up in court, they could face a $1,000 fine or six months in jail.

Fresno venues look to #saveourstages

In California, live entertainment venues like Fresno’s Tower Theatre were the first to be closed by the pandemic and will be the last to reopen.

That won’t be until 2021 by most speculation.

By then it will be too late for most venues. According to a survey of members of the National Independent Venue Association, 90% of independent venues report they will close permanently in a few months without federal funding. Even iconic venues like the Troubadour in Los Angeles have taken to GoFundMe to stave off permanent closure.

The Tower Theatre has endured the hardship so far, despite having zero income and bills piling up. But owner Laurence Abbate isn’t sure how much longer the theater can last without help.

“It’s probably going to become something else. A church, a warehouse,” Abbate says.

So, his venue is joining the nationwide move to lobbying for industry specific Paycheck Protection Program loans, similar to what was offered for the restaurant industry. It is also asking for continued unemployment benefits and temporary tax credits to offset the cost of ticket refunds, rent and mortgage and employee safety and retention.

There is a hashtag, #saveourstages.

This story was originally published July 13, 2020 at 8:32 AM.