Fresno County confirms third coronavirus death. City-by-city infections breakdown released

The number of Fresno County deaths related to coronavirus rose to three Tuesday, and health officials reported another 22 positive cases.

The county through Tuesday has confirmed 146 positive coronavirus cases, according to the Fresno County Department of Public Health. Information on the third and latest person to die in the county was not immediately available.

Ninety-three of the cases were found in Fresno, according to new information from health officials. The other clusters were found in Clovis (15), Firebaugh (12), Sanger (7) and Reedley (6).

Ten other communities in Fresno County had four or fewer cases.

Health officials in Fresno County have said the region is not yet out of the worst of the virus, predicting its peak in late April. Dr. Rais Vohra, Fresno County interim health officer, stressed the predictions are not an exact science, however.

Essential services

Fresno County has asked essential employees to continue working through the response to the coronavirus, according to Jean Rousseau, Fresno County chief administrative officer.

Originally planning to bring all employees back by April 14, that plan has extended to May 1, Rousseau said Tuesday on a Zoom call with reporters.

The county has been operating under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s shelter-in-place order since March 19 and does not intend to make its own order, Rousseau said.

The county has set up a line for the public to ask any specific questions they have about coronavirus at 559-600-4636. A separate line only for first responders who need to ask a question is at 559-600-0777.

Fresno County officials said they are receiving calls from people who have been tested for the virus. They stressed that people who are tested should call their doctor or whoever tested them for the results.

Other counties

Tulare County has reported 157 positive COVID-19 cases and six deaths. Tulare County saw an increase of 22 cases from Monday to Tuesday. Of the positive cases, at least 44 have come from Redwood Springs Healthcare Center, a 176-bed nursing home in Visalia.

Merced County reported 34 cases on Tuesday, an increase of five cases from Sunday (no new cases were reported Monday). A single death has been reported.

Kings County has tallied five cases and no deaths, according to health officials.

Madera County has not reported any new cases since Saturday. Two of the Valley‘s deaths, including the first, were in the county.

Nationally, 392,594 have tested positive for the coronavirus, and 12,621 have died of complications related to it, according to The COVID Tracking Project. In California, 374 people have died.

This story was originally published April 7, 2020 at 5:44 PM.