With Valley COVID-19 cases stabilizing, Fresno County officials brace for reopening and flu
The number of new coronavirus cases added daily in the central San Joaquin Valley continues to wane as counties look to move into the next tier on California’s blueprint to reopening the economy.
Fresno County was the only one in the six-county region to see progress on Tuesday when the California Department of Public Health moved it from the purple Tier 1 to the red Tier 2. That means some business, such as gyms, tattoo and massage parlors, restaurants and worship centers, can begin to operate indoors with limited capacity and mask requirements.
So far, Valley counties have not reported any new coronavirus deaths this week. Plus, the number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals remains mostly stable.
But health officials are bracing for the upcoming flu season and that it, coupled with reopening the economy, doesn’t spur more coronavirus surges.
Fresno County Department of Public Health is asking all primary care providers and clinics to provide COVID-19 and flu tests starting in October. Fresno’s interim health officer, Dr. Rais Vohra, urged residents to get their flu vaccine now so it will be the most effective possible.
“We want to minimize the burden of taking care of either one of those illnesses as much as possible,” he said.
“We’re not through the woods yet, and we really need to stay cautious,” Vohra said.
Fresno County: 76 new cases since Monday, 28,517 to date; no additional deaths, 382 to date.
Kings County: 21 new cases since Monday, 7,678 to date; two additional deaths, 80 to date. More than 3,350 of the county’s cases, and seven deaths, have been among inmates at state prisons in Avenal and Corcoran.
Madera County: 18 new cases since Monday, 4,557 to date; no additional deaths, 65 to date.
Mariposa County: No new cases, 75 to date; no additional deaths, two to date.
Merced County: 22 new cases since Monday, 8,961 to date; no additional deaths, 143 to date.
Tulare County: 133 new cases since Monday, 16,204 to date; no additional deaths, 263 to date.
This story was originally published September 29, 2020 at 5:11 PM.