Two more dead, two-dozen newly infected with coronavirus as Fresno County set to reopen
Two more people in Fresno County were reported dead Thursday and 34 new cases were recorded as the county received state approval to reopen businesses that were shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The death toll in Fresno County has reached 22, and a total of 1,372 cases have been confirmed since the outbreak. There have been 426 recoveries.
The city of Fresno has 648 cases, nearly half the county total. Fresno Mayor Lee Brand announced Thursday that the shelter orders first scheduled to end at the end of the month would end five days sooner, on Tuesday, May 26.
Also Thursday, the state health department approved the county’s request to reopen some businesses with strict guidelines to keep customers safe from the virus. It moves the county further into Phase 2 of reopening.
Such businesses allowed to reopen include restaurants. Retail stores and other offices would follow later.
One day earlier, Interim Health Director Dr. Rais Vohra said the county was not flattening the curve of infections and recommended that residents wear face mask whenever inside a business or at work.
Other counties
Surrounding counties have also gotten state approval to begin reopening, except for Tulare County, where nursing homes have been hard hit and the death toll on Thursday reached 74 with one new death.
Tulare County reached 1,603 total infections with 542 recoveries.
Tulare County supervisors vowed to reopen in spite of the state’s orders not to. State officials said the county could forfeit emergency funding if it suggested there was no local emergency. Some cities distanced themselves from the supervisor decisions and urged residents to still practice safety.
Kings County on Thursday reported an increase of 31 positive cases, 15 of which came from direct contact with a confirmed case. The county now has 488 cases, two deaths and 177 recoveries since the outbreak began.
Madera County has seen a lesser impact to date: 83 cases, two deaths and 60 recoveries as of Thursday.
In all the nearby counties, most cases have spread from person to person, according to health agency data.
This story was originally published May 21, 2020 at 4:30 PM.
