Coronavirus updates: Valley nears 50,000 cases; Clovis schools start distance learning

The central San Joaquin Valley has now reported more than 49,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus since the first local cases were identified in early March. The six-country region has averaged more than 900 new cases each day over the past two weeks and has seen an increase of more than 10,000 cases since Aug. 1.

Fresno County has surpassed 20,000 cases — nearly 10,000 more than Tulare County, which has the region’s second-largest case count and reported 267 new cases in an update Tuesday. Of California’s 58 counties, Fresno County is No. 7 in total number of cases, behind Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange, San Bernardino, San Diego and Kern counties.

Fresno County has added 1,100 cases since Friday, and almost 6,000 — an average of almost 390 new cases each day — since Aug. 1

Across the region, 617 people have died of the coronavirus, according to health officials.

Tulare County has reported 206 of those deaths, the highest number in the region, including one death on Monday. Merced County reported four new coronavirus-related deaths on Monday and has now reported 93 total deaths.

Fresno County has counted 203 deaths, including 65 just this month. That’s equal to the number that died in all of July.

Which Fresno County cities have the most cases?

In Fresno County, the largest number of cases have been reported in the city proper. Fresno has had 10,300 of the county’s total cases as of Friday, according to data reported by ZIP code.

Just south of Fresno in Selma, there has been almost 1,100 cases, while Clovis has about 1,040 cases, according to data from the Fresno County Department of Public Health.

It’s a virtual first day back at Clovis schools

Students around Fresno County gathered virtually for the first day of classes on Monday.

Most Clovis schools used the day as an orientation for parents and students, with some schools providing one-on-one time to review schedules and online learning tools. High school students met on Zoom with instructors figuring out how to take roll and giving students their expectations of the year. Elementary school students won’t begin formal Zoom classes until Thursday.

Clovis Unified has 3,500 hotspots for students and more than 33,000 devices available. If a parent needs technical help, specific instructions and information on how to receive guidance is on its website.

For additional technological assistance, families can call Clovis Unified’s Technology Help Desk at 559-327-9595. Help is available from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Parents said the idea of continuing distance learning did not appeal to their children but they “resigned” themselves to the reality.

Can California respond to Valley’s woes?

Over the past few weeks, the coronavirus pandemic has put the Valley in spotlight.

Gov. Gavin Newsom described the area as his “biggest area of concern” and dispatched three of his coronavirus “strike teams” to the region to help local officials halt the spread. The Trump administration’s coronavirus task force coordinator, Dr. Deborah Birx, called the Valley one of the worst hot spots in America for COVID-19.

Now some are asking whether the region can use the surge in coronavirus infections to its advantage, leveraging the attention and resources to not only beat the pandemic but bring about meaningful improvements in a region plagued for decades by low wages, substandard housing, spotty access to health care and rampant environmental problems?

Some believe it can.

“We have national attention, and we seem to have the beginnings of political will for actual structural changes to support the people who feed us,” said Ildi Carlisle-Cummins, head of the California Institute for Rural Studies, a research and advocacy group based in Davis.

“I’m hopeful. Even if you don’t care about human dignity, we all should realize the foundation of our food system is at critical risk,” Cummins said.

Already legislation has been introduced to enhance tax credits designed to spur the development of better housing for farmworkers. Its sponsors say overcrowded dwellings are breeding grounds for the virus.

Clovis protest supports reopening of salons

Salon workers and supporters on Monday rallied and marched in Old Town Clovis. The protest, was called in support of the re-opening of their businesses and for economic support from the coronavirus pandemic.

This story was originally published August 18, 2020 at 8:45 AM.