Ask us your questions: What do you need to know about COVID-19 in the Fresno area?
The pandemic and its effects on the central San Joaquin Valley are changing by the week.
Information about vaccine availability, outbreaks in the workplace, relief packages and government mandates is changing rapidly — and there may be a gap between what’s going on and what the public seems to know or believe.
During this on-going surge in cases, The Fresno Bee is here to investigate, fact-check and answer your questions about COVID-19 with information from credible sources and public records.
Use the form below to ask your questions and we will work to research and report accurate answers.
It’s almost been a year since California’s first confirmed case of coronavirus. Now, state data show the Central San Joaquin Valley has been a hotspot for COVID-19 cases during an on-going statewide surge, with Fresno, at one time, labeled the hardest hit metro area in the country for the number of new reported cases.
Outbreaks reported at state-run prisons, meat processing plants and nursing homes contribute to what state health officials call widespread risk in Madera, Fresno, Tulare, and Kings counties.
And, a lack of testing in largely immigrant, farmworker communities is one reason why spread of the virus in rural areas is likely under-reported.
Rates of positive cases in Valley counties are generally lower than those reported in Southern California. Still, intensive care units have reported zero capacity.
The virus and the government’s response to the pandemic continues to take a toll on healthcare workers, schools, local businesses and human life in the region.
Since the first case in the region was confirmed in Madera County in early March, more than 1,300 COVID-related deaths have been reported in the region.
Meanwhile, some residents reject official public health reports about the risk of the coronavirus and the reported strain on local hospitals, and anti-mask protesters recently forced closed a local grocery store.
None of this will likely end soon.
The first round of vaccines are being administered to priority residents now, a sign that there is light at the end of the tunnel and the end of the pandemic may be near. But the risk of COVID-19 and government-mandated stay-at-home orders will likely remain for months.
During this transitional time, The Fresno Bee is here to help you stay updated with the latest information from credible sources and how community members are responding to this public health emergency.
This story was originally published January 6, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
