Coronavirus updates: Warning to parents; Fresno hits 88 deaths this month

Fresno County now has the most reported coronavirus deaths in the central San Joaquin Valley, overtaking Tulare County, its neighbor to the south.

In its weekly update on Friday, Fresno County reported another 21 people had died of the coronavirus, which has now been the cause of death for 226 people since the early April. Of those, 88 were reported since Aug. 1, making this the deadliest month of the pandemic. Sixty-five related deaths were reported in the county in July.

Tulare County reported two deaths on Friday. Two-hundred and ten people have now died from the coronavirus in the county, according to health officials. The number of reported deaths in Merced, Madera and Kings County remain in double digits, with Mariposa County reporting just two deaths.

Across the six-county region, 654 people have died of the coronavirus since March.

The number of total positive cases in Fresno County rose by 305 and now sits at 22,840, according to state data through Friday night.

More than 52,000 cases have been reported across the region. More than half (33,128) are considered recovered.

COVID-linked disease reported in children

Health officials in Tulare County warning for parents on Friday to take all necessary precautions against COVID-19.

This after cases of the COVID-linked Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome, or MIS-C, were reported in the county. Of known cases of MIS-C in California, 10% have been reported in Tulare County, according to health officials.

The disease gained attention in May after it began being discovered in children who had tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19, or had been around someone with COVID-19.

Private school sets up defense fund to fight Fresno County COVID-19 orders

Immanuel Schools on Friday launched a legal defense fund to help fuel its efforts to keep students in classrooms, despite health department orders to shut down its campus.

This is the latest in the Christian private school’s fight with Fresno County Health officials, who, the day prior, filed a complaint seeking an injunction and a judge’s order to close the schools.

Immanuel Schools opened its doors to students Aug. 13, ignoring orders from Gov. Gavin Newsom regarding counties on the state’s coronavirus watchlist.

Fresno unemployment down for the month

More than 87,000 workers in the Valley lost their jobs in March and April, as the pandemic hit and pleasure travel was curtailed and many bars, dine-in restaurants and retailers were closed.

Since then many industry sectors have regained at least some of the jobs that were lost to the coronavirus curtailment measures. But new unemployment figures for July, released on Friday show a few — including state and local government — are still seeing job leakage as the region and the state continue to come to terms with the economic effects of the virus.

Compared with June, unemployment rates for counties across the Valley were down in July, by about a full percentage point. But all are far higher than in February, before the pandemic. Tulare County had 16.2 percent unemployment in July. That’s down from 17.1 percent in June, but up from 11.5 percent in February.

Fresno County was at 13.5 percent unemployment in July; down from 14.5 percent in June but up from 8.5 percent in February.

This story was originally published August 22, 2020 at 11:21 AM.