Coronavirus updates: Schools hit with ransomware attacks; Housing, rental relief in Fresno
August ended as the deadliest month for the coronvirus pandemic in the central San Joaquin Valley.
All counted, 286 people died of the coronavirus in August, according to health officials across Fresno, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Mecred and Tulare counties. That includes two deaths reported in Merced County on the last day of the month.
The first two deaths in September were reported in Tulare County on Tuesday.
In just over five months, 742 have died of corornavirus across the six-county region. Tulare has seen 234 deaths from the virus. That’s nearly 30 less than Fresno County, which has reported 263 people who have died from coronavirus. Merced County has tallied 117 coronavirus deaths. Kings County has reported 72 deaths; Madera County 54 and Mariposa County just two.
Case counts across the Valley
Nearly 58,000 people in the Valley have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began. Nearly half of those cases (25,185) have been reported in Fresno County. Tulare County added 266 new cases on Tuesday and has now reported 14,305; Merced County, 8,032; Kings County, 6,342; and Madera County, 3,783. Mariposa County has reported 71 cases.
Across the state, the rate of new infections, as well as the percentage of diagnostic tests returning positive, declined between July and mid-August, as the total number of lab-confirmed cases rose to 704,085 as of a Monday morning update from state health officials.
Fresno-area classes canceled due to online issues
Selma Unified took down its entire network and canceled online classes on Friday after a ransomware attack, according to a message sent to parents. Students were encouraged to work independently and most systems were back up on Monday.
At Madera Unified School District, teachers were told they could work from home Wednesday and Thursday after a fiber line was damaged in northern Madera County, causing an internet outage. The outage lasted about 15 hours.
Gov. Gavin Newsom last week announced that small groups of students could return for in-person learning, including those enrolled in special education classes, English learners, and homeless or other at-risk students. The state also made minor changes to reopening guidelines that allows for schools open campuses, once counties have moved to a lower tier for at least two weeks.
Fresno makes more rent and mortgage assistance available
The Fresno City Council added more money to a $5 million program that helps people stay in their homes despite a hit to their hours at work or other hardships created by the pandemic. The money is part of the city’s CARES Act federal relief package.
The grants — between $1,500-$3,000 — can go to anyone living in city limits who can show they are behind on rent or their mortgage. The money can also be used on other household costs, like utilities. The money is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis with income requirements.
A family of four has to make less than $55,900, for example.
Applicants are required to sign an affidavit that they will spend the money on household costs. Apply by contacting one of the six nonprofits contracting with the city.
Immanuel Schools’ herd immunity claim
In 198 samples of blood from students, teachers and parents at the private Christian K-12 school in Reedley, at least 59% came back positive showing previous coronavirus exposure, according to Dr. Paul Atmajian – a local pathologist and Immanuel Schools’ parent – who collected and tested the sample this summer.
Had he used a less reliable form of testing, his results would have found an even higher number, approximately 80% of students with antibodies for COVID-19, “or as otherwise stated, herd immunity at Immanuel Schools.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Havard Medical School and others caution against the idea of herd immunity when so little is still known about the coronavirus.
“I don’t want to refute what the pathologist is saying. I like what he’s doing,” said Juris Grasis, an assistant professor of biology at UC Merced who researches urology and immune responses to viruses. “But I’m cautious about saying any herd or population immunity within a community that’s still interacting with lots of people.”
When can Fresno State sports return?
For the fifth time since March, Fresno State is being asked to decide when it will allow student-athletes to return to campus to participate in workouts with the safety protocols it has in place.
A small number of students and staff are already back on campus for the fall semester. The Department of Theatre and Dance has started rehearsal for a performance of “Darkside” while wearing masks and proper social distancing.
But football, basketball and other sports have not yet returned and there is no word when that might happen.
“The university is not currently able to announce when it will be safe for our student-athletes to return to campus for voluntary workouts,” university president Dr. Joseph Castro said.
“The proposed repopulation plan developed by our athletic department is in the process of being revised for final approval by the university, the California State University Chancellor’s Office and the Fresno County Department of Public Health, to ensure that it fully complies with recent State Public Health guidelines issued by the Governor’s Office for Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) for Athletics, including COVID-19 testing protocols.”
This story was originally published September 1, 2020 at 8:30 AM.