Fresno County approaching 9,000 total coronavirus cases. Church pushes back against rules
Fresno County added 123 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday and no new deaths, according to statistics from the state Department of Public Health.
Now at 8,941 cases, Fresno County leads the counties in the central San Joaquin Valley with the most cases, the state numbers show. The county also has 91 deaths.
Fresno County officials have taken to reporting new numbers only on Tuesday and Fridays, a change from previous weeks when reports came out six days a week.
The state numbers do not align exactly with Fresno County numbers, county health officials have said. The county and state derive their reports from the same source, however.
At least four more deaths were reported in the central San Joaquin Valley, including two in Merced and one each in Madera and Kings counties. The total deaths in the Valley have reached at least 308.
Church pushes back
Despite the surging numbers in Fresno County, Cornerstone Church pastor Jim Franklin announced his downtown Fresno church will remain open regardless of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s mandate to close indoor services in Fresno County and other parts of California.
The church was closed for nearly three months of the COVID-19 pandemic after Newsom ordered churches and nonessential businesses in mid-March to close in order to help limit the spread of the coronavirus. The church since opened.
The issue has led to contempt by Franklin, who previously opposed Newsom’s restrictions to limit church services to 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever was lower.
“The No. 1 thing as a pastor that I’m concerned about is the welfare of the people in my auditorium — the sheep that I shepherd as a pastor,” Franklin said on Tuesday. “I want to be sure that they are physically safe, that they are spiritually safe, that they are mentally safe.”
County health leader reacts
Fresno County interim Health Officer Dr. Rais Vohra said on Wednesday he agreed that churches provide support for people feeling frustration, anxiety and sadness during the uncertain times of the pandemic, but the state order to close churches is undeniable.
“I know that’s a very difficult situation. ... I think they do provide some mental heath services that do help some people,” he said. “Unfortunately, with the state order saying what it does, that’s going to still hold as a mandate.”
Vohra said he has a meeting planned on Thursday with faith leaders to discuss what they are allowed to do and how county officials can help churches.
Other counties
Tulare County added 123 cases to bring the total through Wednesday to 6,332. No deaths were added to the total of 153.
Merced County reached 2,260 after adding 77 cases on Wednesday. Two new deaths raised the total to 15.
Madera County added 51 cases for a total of 1,054 since the start of the pandemic. There are now 10 deaths there following a new one reported on Wednesday.
Kings County reported another death to reach 41 total. Thirty new cases on Wednesday pushed the total positive cases to 3,108.
Mariposa County added a single case to reach 35 total on Wednesday. One person has died from the virus there.
More than 137,000 people have died from the virus nationally and more than 7,200 in California, according to The COVID Tracking Project and Johns Hopkins University CSSE.
This story was originally published July 15, 2020 at 5:00 PM.
