Fresno County reports 11 new deaths from COVID-19. Gym sues Gov. Newsom over closures
Fresno County reported 11 new deaths from COVID-19 on Tuesday, in addition to 36 new coronavirus infections.
The coronavirus has claimed 348 lives in the county, according to Fresno County health officials. The total number of cases reached 27,232 on Tuesday.
The update in new cases was the smallest daily number since June 14, when officials reported 32 new cases.
Officials say 16,307 patients have recovered.
Fresno County looks to be soon edging out of the most restrictive tier in the state’s relatively new system.
California’s color-coded system places counties into four tiers based primarily on their recent rates of new infections: purple is “widespread,” red is “substantial,” orange is “moderate” and yellow is “minimal.”
It is supposed to update every Monday.
Five of the six counties in the central San Joaquin Valley — Fresno, Kings, Madera, Merced, and Tulare — are purple. Mariposa County is considered orange.
Gym sues Newsom
The California Fitness Alliance, a group of health-club chains from across the state, announced Tuesday it is suing Gov. Gavin Newsom to win the right to reopen indoor facilities.
Alliance members said Newsom’s decision to close indoor health clubs and yoga studios ignores the clubs’ ability to keep their customers safe.
“We believe in science, we believe in data,” said Francesca Schuler, a Fitness Alliance board member and owner of the In-Shape Health Clubs chain. “We are in the health business, first and foremost.”
Based in Stockton, In-Shape operates 64 clubs with most in the San Joaquin Valley, including locations Merced and Tulare counties.
Gyms across most of the state were forced to close during the original shutdowns in mid-March. As the coronavirus pandemic showed signs of easing, Newsom allowed gyms to reopen.
But he closed them again in much of the state a month later, in mid-July, after infection rates surged — even though Schuler said gyms’ ramped-up hygiene protocols prevented any outbreaks during the window when clubs were open.
Many gyms have stayed open by moving some of their exercise equipment outdoors, but Schuler said the smoke from California’s epidemic of wildfires has severely undermined that approach.
Around the Valley
Tulare County reported two new deaths from and 91 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday. Those totals are 253 and 15,361, respectively, since the pandemic began.
Merced County added two deaths to its total, which is now 131. Another 29 new cases of the virus pushed the total to 8,645.
Madera County tallied four new cases, which brings the total there to 4,230. No deaths changed the total of 58, according to the Tuesday update.
Mariposa County has reported 75 positive cases and two deaths since March.
Kings County reached 7,144 cases after updating the Tuesday report with 19 new cases. No new deaths left the total at 77.
The Sacramento Bee contributed to this report.
This story was originally published September 15, 2020 at 4:30 PM.
