Fresno reports 8 deaths, 334 new cases of coronavirus. Clovis food event planned
Fresno County reported eight deaths on Friday and 392 new cases of coronavirus, in a county already leading the central San Joaquin Valley in cases.
The total number of deaths in Fresno County is now 112 through Friday and 12,148 positive cases since the pandemic arrived in the region in March.
Of the cases, 3,314 have recovered from the virus.
The rise in cases in Fresno County is still attributed to family get togethers, along with gatherings for special events or meals, according to Rais Vohra, interim health officer for Fresno County.
He said people should refrain from gatherings, wear masks and social distance.
“Don’t let down your guard,” he said. “People are careful 90% of the time ... but the other 10% they let down their guard.”
This week, California hit several grim milestones in its battle against the coronavirus. The troubling news comes as the number of people infected by the virus soars, and the number of people requiring hospital care steadily ticks upward in the state and across the country.
More than 435,000 Californians have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began, according to the latest state public health data released Friday morning, compared to over 410,000 in New York. (California also has the largest state population in the country.) More than 9,700 new cases in California were reported out Friday alone.
Latinos affected
In a letter this week to Gov. Gavin Newsom, the Latino Legislative Caucus expressed concern over the growing number of cases among Latinos, particularly those working in factories, fields, and offices.
Now, the caucus wants Newsom to require businesses to report infections and investigate local governments’ use of federal relief funds, explicitly calling into question Fresno County officials for allegedly failing to address the needs of rural communities.
Valley counties report
Tulare County added 334 new cases of the deadly virus on Friday, when the total reached 8,210. No new deaths were tallied but the county still has the most fatal cases on record at 168.
Merced County reported 122 new cases to reach 1,630. No new deaths leaves that total at 27.
Madera County’s 31 new cases drove the total up to 1,630 on Friday. Another death brought the total to 19.
Mariposa County reported two new cases, which makes the total 46 cases and one death on Friday.
Kings County reported 78 new cases Friday (including 30 in the state prisons in the county) for a total of 3,625 (1,333 in the prisons). The county reported two new deaths for 23 total (five in the prisons).
Small business support
The Clovis Culinary Center announced plans for what its calling “Grab-N-Go Eats and Treats” on Saturday.
The pop-up food event designed to share the culinary items created by central Valley food business entrepreneurs is 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Clovis Culinary Center, 3185 Willow Ave., in Clovis.
The public is asked to follow all state and county health and safety protocols while in attendance, including adhering to social distancing guidelines and wearing a mask. People who are sick should stay home.
This story was originally published July 24, 2020 at 3:56 PM.
