Coronavirus update: Clovis schools delay reopening as Fresno seeks more vaccine help
Amid the national upheaval this week that included an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Fresno County, and the central San Joaquin Valley continued to struggle with managing its coronavirus surge.
Fresno County on Saturday reported 1,132 new cases of the COVID-19 virus, according to the state public health website, bringing the county to a total of 73,689. The county has seen 711 deaths but has not updated that number since Jan. 1.
Going into the weekend, there were six intensive care unit beds available in county hospitals, where 662 people were hospitalized because of COVID-19, according to county health officials.
CUSD postpones return of more students to schools due to COVID-109
Late Friday, Clovis Unified School District pushed back the return of in-person instruction until at least February.
The delay of more students returning to campuses was extended on the advice of the Fresno County Department of Public Health amid the continued surge of confirmed cases of the coronavirus within the county.
Small groups of Clovis Unified School District elementary students returned to campuses in November, with CUSD’s initial plan to bring back nearly all elementary school students by Jan. 19.
CUSD high school and middle school students, meanwhile, were initially scheduled to return to in-person instruction Jan. 4. That timeline was previously pushed back to Jan. 19, under the guidance of public health officials.
Earlier this week, Fresno Unified joined six other large California school districts in a joint letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom, criticizing his recent plan to encourage schools to begin reopening some elementary schools by February.
Before winter break, COVID-19 cases in Fresno County’s four largest school districts continued to rise, according to data obtained and compiled by The Bee’s Education Lab.
COVID-19 at Chowchilla women’s prison
A social justice organization this week alleged the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation failed to prevent and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 within the state’s largest women’s prison in Chowchilla.
Infections at the Central California Women’s Facility more than tripled in two weeks from 120 inmates and 37 employees on Dec.22 to 511 inmates and 79 employees as of Tuesday, according to data from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. There have been 563 inmate cases and 207 staff cases at the prison since the pandemic began. Since then, one employee has died. There are currently a total of 2,041 inmates and 1,064 staff at the prison.
The California Coalition for Women Prisoners, a self-described grassroots social justice organization, blamed correctional staff and top prison officials for failing to implement state-mandated safety protocols inside the prison, such as social distancing, mask-wearing, and frequent cleaning and sanitation of a facility.
Fresno lacks COVID-19 vaccine providers
Fresno County health officials say they are looking for more health providers to apply and administer the COVID-19 vaccine in preparation for inoculating the masses.
There are 48 providers who already signed up to administer the shots in Fresno County, according to Joe Prado, the county’s community health division manager.
The county has also set aside 3,000 vaccines to be given to farmworkers and food production workers as early as Jan. 25. Prado said the first wave is a test for the best way to begin a larger scale disbursement to agricultural laborers in February and March.
The county has received 44,000 vaccines through the beginning of this week.
The county is also working on a place on its website for residents to check if when they are eligible for an appointment to get the vaccine, according to health officials.
Other Valley counties
Kings County: 572 additional cases among the general populace, a two-day total after a delay in the data system; 10,875 total. Zero new deaths; 95 total. Another 53 new cases in state prison facilities in the county; 6,836 total. Zero new deaths; 15 total.
Mariposa County: 12 new cases; 308 total. Zero new deaths; four total.
This story was originally published January 9, 2021 at 8:09 AM.