Coronavirus Updates: Long wait for Fresno relief funds; Newsom sends in ‘strike team’

The number of lives lost to the coronavirus continues to rise across the central San Joaquin Valley.

On Monday, health officials reported 10 people had died across Kings, Madera, Merced and Tulare counties. Kings, Madera and Merced counties reported two deaths each. Tulare County reported four deaths.

Tulare County reported another coronavirus-related death in an update on Tuesday.

Since a first death was reported in March, 386 people have died of illness related to the coronavirus across the six counties in the region. Of those, 140 deaths have come in July.

For comparison, there were 112 deaths in June.

Tulare County has recorded the most deaths, with 173. Fresno County has reported 112 deaths; Kings County, 49; Merced County, 29; and Madera County, 21.

Mariposa County reported its second coronavirus-related death on Sunday.

The number of total positive cases grew by more than 1,000 on Monday, with triple-digit increases reported in Fresno, Kings, Merced and Tulare counties. Tulare County reported an additional 328 positive cases on Tuesday.

The region is now reporting an average of just over 700 new cases each day, based on data from the prior two weeks.

That number is up from 355 new daily cases at the end of June.

There have now been more than 31,000 positive cases across the region. Fresno County continues to have the largest number of total cases (13,209), active cases (8,722) and hospitalizations (364 as of Sunday).

Governor sends strike teams, $52 million in aid to Central Valley

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday announced the state would be sending three coronavirus “strike teams,” plus $52 million in federal money to the Central Valley to help battle the spike in COVID-19 cases.

The rate at which people are testing positive for the coronavirus varies from county to county in the Central Valley, but it is higher that the statewide average. Fresno County’s rate is more than 10.7%; Tulare’s is more than 17.7%, Newsom said. The statewide positivity rate is around 7.5%.

The region is seeing the virus spread particularly among Latinos, essential workers and people who live in group settings like jails and nursing homes. The state will have a “laser-like focus” on stemming spread among those groups, Newsom said.

The funding from a federal grant will help bolster testing and pay for more supplies and additional support for the medical system, Newsom said.

COVID-19 infected employees encouraged to continue work, lawsuit says

An employee at Central Valley Meat Company has filed a lawsuit alleging her supervisor told her to keep working, despite showing symptoms on the coronvirus and having been exposed to a person who tested positive for the virus.

The woman eventually tested positive for COVID-19 days later and infected her boyfriend, who ended up at the hospital, according to a class action complaint filed with the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California on July 22.

The lawsuit alleges the company could have prevented the outbreak in Hanford and that the company “disregarded substantial, inescapable evidence of rising infection levels among its workers and implemented policies and practices, in plain violation of health and safety regulations and public health guidance, that facilitated rather than diminished the spread of COVID-19.”

The company declined to comment on the case and said it only learned of the action through the media and had yet to be properly served as of Monday.

Wait lists, questions for those who applied for financial relief in Fresno

Hundreds of local families rushed to the phone to apply for the Fresno Retention Housing Grant program when it was announced July 1. Most are still waiting for someone to address their concerns.

The $5 million grant came from the CARES Act and provides $1,500-$3,000 to Fresno residents and families to help pay for rent, mortgage or utility bills, if they can show they have been financially impacted by COVID-19. The first round of the grant — $1.5 million — was distributed to six local organizations: Reading and Beyond, the Fresno Center, Centro La Familia, Education and Leadership Foundation (ELF), Jakara Movement, and the West Fresno Family Resource Center (WFFRC).

Funding is available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Of the six organizations tasked with distributing the money, three have a running wait list of applications.

This story was originally published July 28, 2020 at 8:35 AM.