Coronavirus update: Fresno death toll sets new record as city weighs shutdown order
As one of the regions facing the highest increase in coronavirus cases across the state, Fresno County on Monday reported 89 new COVID-19 related deaths, bringing the countywide total to 646 since the pandemic began, according to state data.
The county also added 952 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, pushing the total to 58,568 since March.
December is now Fresno County’s deadliest related month tied to the pandemic with about 167 deaths. The previous record was 152 deaths in August.
Frontline healthcare workers at Clinica Sierra Vista in Fresno and Kern counties will be first in line to receive the first doses of Moderna’s recently approved coronavirus vaccination sometime this week, the hospital confirmed Monday.
Clinica Sierra Vista medical doctors, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, medical assistants, dentists and dental assistants will be the first in line to receive a vaccination.
Moderna’s vaccine is similar and just as effective as Pfizer’s vaccine that the U.S. began distributing last week. Moderna’s vaccine holds a few key differences, including how it is stored, which makes it more accessible to rural areas like in Fresno and Kern counties. The vaccine can be stored in normal freezers and does not require a super-cold transportation network, making it more accessible for the hospital’s locations.
“The Moderna vaccine is the best candidate for our logistical operations, allowing more of our clinics to stock the vaccine on a regular basis,” said Dr. Olga Meave, Chief Medical Officer at Clinica Sierra Vista.
The central San Joaquin Valley has zero hospital intensive care unit beds left throughout a region that is home to millions. Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday each of the 12 counties that make up the region had effectively reached 0% ICU bed availability. In Fresno, the number of hospitalizations increased to 615 as of Tuesday, with 109 patients in the ICU.
Regional stay-at-home orders are in place for 98% of the state’s residents. As cases have increased, the central San Joaquin Valley and Southern California regions have some of the worst outbreaks, with ICU availability falling to 0%. These regions are increasingly unable to treat some of the state’s sickest patients, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday. Newsom is considering extending the regional stay-at-home order affecting businesses and others in the Valley, he said.
Several factors will influence Newsom’s decision to extend the order, according to the state’s public health experts. Factors include the number of ICU beds projected to be available on Dec. 28, the day the order is set to expire, capacity left in area hospitals, the trend in the seven-day average of cases, and transmission rates.
If the state follows through with the extension, Newsom did not say how long the new order would last.
In addition to the state’s potential stay-at-home extension, the Fresno City Council on Monday said it would mull an emergency ordinance that could shut down retail shops if the health care system in Fresno County gets further strained, according to Councilmember Luis Chavez.
The proposed ordinance would give the city the power to fine shops that remain open despite the emergency order. The first fines would start at $1,000 and could increase up to $10,000 per citation. The ordinance would allow for shutdowns of five days with room for the council to extend the closures.
The emergency designation is contingent on county health officials declaring that regional hospitals are out of beds. Chavez said that could happen within the next week if ICU bed capacity in the region remains low.
The proposal allows for retailers to continue curbside pickup and does not pertain to medical facilities. The council will need to vote on the ordinance before it could go into place, though it remains unclear when the council would call a special meeting.
California hospitalizations could soon pass 100,000
The state reported an additional 62,589 coronavirus cases Monday, bringing the total to 1,928,981 confirmed cases. There were 22,955 more people who had died from the virus statewide, up by 27 deaths Tuesday.
The state has averaged about 233 daily deaths over the last week, increasing by 107.6% from two weeks earlier. The state has averaged 41,833 cases per day over the past week, growing nearly 105% from two weeks ago.
In the past two weeks, California has reported nearly half a million cases, and officials expect the number of hospitalizations could rise past 100,000 statewide within the next month.
Statewide, there were 18,359 people hospitalized as of Tuesday, increasing by 1,169 in one day. Among those patients, 3,756 are in the ICU, double the peak from July.
With a new COVID-19 strain spreading in southern England, Newsom on Monday called on the federal government to take action.
Newsom said that though there is no evidence the new strain had reached California, the federal government should take action now to prevent it from reaching U.S. shores.
Many countries have started to implement a ban on travel from the United Kingdom due to the spread of the new mutation of the coronavirus, though the U.S. is not yet one of them. Though the new virus doesn’t appear to be any deadlier, it does appear that it is more contagious if people come into contact with it, the state’s health officials said Monday.
U.S. tally surges past 18 million COVID-19 cases
With an average of more than 200,000 new coronavirus cases a day, the U.S. on Monday reported it had surged past 18 million coronavirus cases, up by 201,723 from the day before. There are now 322,208 Americans who have died from the disease, up by 2,245 deaths Monday. Of those who have gotten sick, a total of 113,601 remain hospitalized.
Over the past week, about 216,723 people are getting sick by the day, an increase of 7% from two weeks earlier.
A new variant of the coronavirus has been spreading in the United Kingdom, alarming countries across the globe and forcing at least 40 of them to shut their doors to its residents, The New York Times reports. Though public health experts say the new strain is likely not deadlier than the one currently spreading globally, panic ensued when U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it could be up to 70% more contagious.
Several countries in Europe, including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, and Poland, are among those that have announced restrictions on travel. The U.S. has not yet banned travel from the U.K.
This story was originally published December 22, 2020 at 8:37 AM.