Coronavirus updates: Fresno barbers, salons reopen; Foster Farms plant still open
The central San Joaquin Valley is coming off a deadly week for the coronavrius.
Eighty-four people died from the disease from Aug. 24-28, according to health officials in Fresno, Kings, Madera, Merced and Tulare Counties. Of those, 37 were reported in Fresno County, including two dozen on Friday alone. Fresno County has reported 263 coronavirus-related deaths, the most in the six-county region that also includes Mariposa County.
Tulare County follows with 232 deaths, including 22 reported over the past week. There were no deaths reported in the county’s update on Monday.
In all, the coronavirus has caused 738 deaths across the region.
That number was 454 on Aug. 1.
Case counts across the Fresno region
The number of new positive cases across the Valley continues to grow, but that rate of growth slowed for the week. As of Friday, the region was reporting an average increase of 695 new cases per day for two weeks. That’s down from an average high of 954 reported Aug. 23.
The Valley has now logged more than 56,000 cases of coronavirus, including 195 new cases reported in Tulare County on Monday. The county has now tallied 14,079 total cases. There have been 24,821 people who tested positive in Fresno County. Merced County has 7,890 as on Friday; Kings, 6,130 and Madera, 3,674. Mariposa County has reported 71 total cases.
Barbers, salons reopen in Fresno — but frustrations linger
As Fresno-area barber shops and salons reopen Monday under the latest guidance from Gov. Gavin Newsom, shop owners expressed frustrations they were made to close in the first place, saying it’s likely they won’t make up for lost revenue.
Fresno, Kings, Madera, Merced and Tulare counties have all been on the state’s monitoring list, which is being phased out. The counties are now listed in the the purple tier, Tier 1, the strictest in the state’s new color-coded system.
Other businesses that have been closed were allowed to reopen on Monday with modifications, including retail shopping malls — if they operate at 25% capacity.
Fashion Fair opened with a new stricter cleaning regiment.
Sectors that can open, but only for outdoor operations, include aquariums, museums and zoos; body waxing studios and estheticians; cardrooms; cultural ceremonies; drive-in theaters and movie theaters; family entertainment centers including kart racing, miniature golf or batting cages; gyms and fitness centers; massage therapy studios; churches and other places of worship; racetracks and satellite wagering sites; wineries; and yoga studios.
COVID-19 testing site opens at International Agri-Center
A new community testing site is opening in Tulare County at the International Agri-Center in Tulare.
The site, one of three in the county run in partnership with OptumServe, opens Wednesday and will operate, by appointment, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays to Sundays.
Appointments can be made by phone at 888-634-1123 or at lhi.care/covidtesting. Phone registration is restricted to those without internet access and those making an appointment for minors.
“In an effort to increase testing surveillance in our local communities as COVID-19 continues to spread throughout Tulare County, we encourage people who meet the criteria to get tested for COVID-19,” Dr. Karen Haught, Tulare County health officer, said in a news release.
That includes those exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, or anyone who has been exposed to someone who has tested positive for the virus. Tests will be billed to insurance companies for those with insurance. Those without insurance will have the test paid for by the state.
A full list of COVID-19 testing sites in the county can be found at covid19.tularecounty.ca.gov. An interactive map will give residents the nearest site location.
Coronavirus cases spike at Kings County prisons
Avenal State Prison had a spike in coronavirus cases over the past two weeks.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation reported 273 cases at Avenal and another 35 cases in Corcoran State Prison in the past 14 days. The total number in Avenal has increased to 1,878 and 353 in Corcoran.
Both prisons are in Kings County.
Foster Farms’ Livingston plant still open, for now
Foster Farms’ chicken plant in Livingston remained open on Monday, despite an order calling for its closure last week. The plant was initially given 48 hours to shut down after an outbreak of COVID-19, which killed eight employees.
The plant was given several reprieves and is now expected to close Tuesday night and remain shuttered for six days, in which time the site will undergo two rounds of deep cleaning. All 1,400 of the plants employees will also get tested, twice.
Employees must test negative twice within a seven-day period to return to work.
On Monday, the United Farm Workers, the Jakara Movement Punjabi Sikh organization and Faith in the Valley announced a pledge to boycott Foster Farms products if the plant “continues its failure to provide a safe workplace.”
In a news release, the groups say Foster Farms repeatedly failed to properly protect its employees by not implementing county directives, delaying comprehensive testing of all workers and continuing to call employees to work, despite the order from Merced County Department of Public Health to shut down.
This story was originally published August 31, 2020 at 8:34 AM.