Coronavirus updates: Tulare County catches up to state backlog; No football at Fresno State

There was a large jump in the reported cases of coronavirus across the central San Joaquin Valley on Monday, driven by triple-digit increases in Fresno, Merced and Tulare counties. Nearly 1,500 new cases were added between the six counties in the region.

Of those, 744 were reported in Merced County, in its first new-case update since Friday.

Nearly 700 more cases were reported in Tulare County on Tuesday, as county health officials dealt with a backlog in the state’s CalREDIE (California Reportable Disease Information Exchange) system.

Case counts were being underreported accross the state, including Kings County, which has not provided an update on its estimated number of cases for more than a week, citing CalREDIE reporting delays.

Tulare County audited and reviewed the state’s reporting over the weekend and said the numbers are now correct. As it stands, the county has passed 11,500 total positive cases since the pandemic began. Fresno County leads the region with nearly 18,000 cases.

In all, the region counts more than 42,000 positive cases of the coronavirus. More than half are recovered cases.

Five-hundred thirty-six people have died in the Valley since the pandemic began, including six deaths reported in Merced County since Friday and two death reported in Tulare County on Tuesday.

Are numbers stabilizing?

While the number of cases continues rise,Fresno County may be seeing some stability — in not a decline — in the numbers.

The two-week averages for the number of new cases and patients being treated in hospitals have fallen slightly after peaking last week. On July 30, Fresno County reported an average of almost 371 new cases every day over the previous 14 days. As of Monday, the average had shrunk to about 331 cases per day over the past 14 days.

There were 313 confirmed coronavirus patients on July 30. The number of people hospitalized for treatment of the disease was 286 as of Sunday, including 53 seriously ill patients in intensive-care units at hospitals across the county. The rolling 14-day average for hospitalized patients in the county has shrunk from 298 in the middle of last week to 294 on Sunday.

Fresno Unified superintendent: ‘We’re ready’

Teachers at Fresno Unified School District are being trained in distance learning this week, schedules have been finalized and school sites where meals can be picked up have been chosen. One week before the first day of school, the district’s superintendent said “we’re ready” for the coronavirus pandemic era, despite calls from teachers to delay the start date.

Students and parents can now log on to their Atlas Portals to find their schedules and teachers, Nelson said. Live class instruction begins at 9 a.m. everyday.

Every Monday, students and parents will get an update from their teachers on what to expect for the coming week. Teachers will have office hours from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. two days a week to assist families who need help. The other two days of the week, teachers will be collaborating with their colleagues on distance-learning strategies.

All school sites will host virtual meetings every week to answer questions about online learning. Campuses will also have hotlines that teachers and parents can call for help.

Tulare County will not approve school waivers until transmission rates decline

Tulare County Public Health announced it will follow the state’s public health department and not approve any waviers for those elementary schools wanting to reopening for in-person instruction.

The state recommends counties with case rates at or above 200 cases per 100,000 residents do not approve the waivers, which applies to grades TK–6 only. Currently, the county is above the recommended limit. The latest stats show the new case rate for the county at 485 per 100,000 residents.

Schools can submit applications once local metrics have improved. All public and private schools across the county are closed for in-person instruction, though teachers, staff and administrators are allowed to return to school buildings if they adhere to existing protocols, including distancing and wearing masks.

No football at Fresno State

The Mountain West Conference on Monday postponed its football and other fall sports seasons and championship events due to the pandemic. The move hit hard at Fresno State, where student-athletes have been awaiting clearance to return to campus and their teams.

“Our students, they’ve been so thoughtful about how they view this thing,” athletics director Terry Tumey said, after video meetings with coaches and then student-athletes.

“A lot of our student-athletes want to play, and I’m not just talking about football student-athletes. It’s all sports. Fresno State has built a brand and a history that is extremely competitive and we’re good at what we do. We’re good at playing. They come here because they of course want to get their degrees and grow academically, but also because they want to compete for championships in a place that is truly passionate about athletics. Not having the ability to do that in the fall, of course, that’s a huge disappointment.”

The Mountain West is the second FBS conference to postpone its football and fall sports seasons, following the Mid-American Conference. It will now look to the spring, or perhaps have to wait until the 2021-22 school year to resume football and its fall sports.

This story was originally published August 11, 2020 at 8:30 AM.