Coronavirus update: Fresno-area death count passes 300; schools’ online fall plans
Health officials across the central San Joaquin Valley reported nearly 1,000 new cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday.
The six-county region has now seen 21,386 cases since the pandemic hit the area in March. That includes 123 new cases reported by Tulare County in an update on Wednesday. More than half of those cases (11,713) are considered active.
More than 9,000 people have had the virus and recovered.
Three-hundred seven people have died from related illness.
The region is averaging nearly 600 new cases, based on data from the past two weeks. Tuesday’s case count was larger than normal because Fresno County is now reporting its updates just twice a week — on Tuesdays and Fridays. So, this was the county’s first update since Saturday.
It added 474 new cases and three new deaths.
Fresno County continues to lead the region in both total (8,756) and active (6,482) cases.
Tulare County has had the most residents die from the virus. It reported its latest death on Tuesday, bringing the total number of people who have died in the county to 153.
Central Unified to start year online; Fresno, Clovis plans to come
The surge in coronavirus cases since June has forced school officials across the state to assess (or re-assess in some cases) how they will begin the school year in August.
Selma Unified School District on Wednesday, said it would start the 2020 school year all online, after trustees voted Tuesday to pivot from recent plans that would have put students on campus a few days a week.
This follows Central Unified School District, which on Tuesday night announced it would start the school year with an all-online learning model with plans to transition into traditional in-person classes later. Teachers and staff will work on campuses starting Aug. 12, with one-on-one or small group appointments for students.
The district will evaluate when students may begin returning to campuses as the pandemic develops. Students could return in slower stages, mixing online and in-person classes.
Fresno Unified has not announced a formal decision on how it will reopen Aug. 17, but is expected to give an update on Friday.
Fresno Teachers Association President Manuel Bonilla said it’s “abundantly clear” that it will not be safe to reopen schools on Aug. 17 and Fresno Unified Trustee Veva Islas said she’s “not in favor” of schools reopening, that keeping the district’s 74,000 students six feet apart per social distancing guidelines was “impossible” and that it’s “unlikely” students will return to campuses next month.
The Clovis Unified School District is slated to discuss its plans at its board meeting Wednesday night.
Churches — including one in Fresno — react to Newsom order
On Monday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued orders once again barring houses of worship in much of the state from conducting indoor religious services. Some Christian leaders are critical of the governor’s decision, including the pastor of Fresno’s Cornerstone Church.
On Tuesday, Jim Franklin announced the downtown church will remain open despite Newsom’s mandate.
Making his announcement on social media, Franklin said his church offers people a safe environment to worship, helps them with their mental well being, and said that “we’re not going to give up our constitutional right.”
“I believe the church is critical,” Franklin said. “I believe the services we offer are critical.”
Franklin said he believes you are safer in church, with proper protocols in place, than you are at a big box store or restaurant or work.
The order restricting indoor worship services applies to any county on the state’s COVID-19 monitoring list, which represents about 80% of the state’s population.
This story was originally published July 15, 2020 at 8:41 AM.