Coronavirus update, April 3: Graffiti Festival off; latest case count; shopping tips
Here is the latest on the coronavirus pandemic as it relates to Stanislaus County:
Stores adapt to keep shoppers safe
Grocers and other essential stores have refined their safeguards for shoppers amid the coronavirus. This includes sanitizing surfaces, reducing crowding and shielding workers at checkout lines. Read Marijke Rowland’s Biz Beat column.
Latest facts on COVID-19 tests in Modesto area
Stanislaus County reported Thursday that 50 people have tested positive for the virus and 1,337 tested negative. There remain no virus-related deaths in the county. Of those who tested positive, 26 are female and 24 are male. The hardest hit group are those between the ages of 18 and 49 (20), followed by 50-64 (11), 65+ (11) and 0-17 (2). Twenty-one people in Modesto tested positive, followed by 11 in the unincorporated areas of Stanislas County followed by six in Ceres, three in Riverbank, one in Turlock, between one and four in Oakdale, Patterson and Waterford and none in Hughson and Newman. Half have been hospitalized.
San Joaquin County has 10 COVID-19-related deaths among 178 cases.
Merced County is at 16 cases, with no deaths.
Tuolumne County has two cases and no deaths . Reported tests are at 227.
Mariposa County still has no cases and reported 51 tests.
As of Friday morning, there were 11,207 confirmed cases in California and 246 deaths, according to the Los Angeles Times. There were 244,228 U.S. cases and 6,267 deaths (1,438 more than Wednesday), according to the New York Times.
Here is the state tracker.
Golden Valley lays off workers
Golden Valley Health Centers has furloughed and laid off about 25 percent of its roughly 1,150 employees because of a huge drop in the number of patients it treats as the coronavirus pandemic brings everyday life to a standstill. Read Kevin Valine’s story.
School chief talks distance learning
A day after it was announced that public schools in Stanislaus County will be closed through spring in response to the coronavirus, the superintendent of the biggest district, Modesto City Schools, talked with The Bee on a range of related topics. Read Deke Farrow’s story.
Graffiti Festival won’t happen
The coronavirus has forced cancellation of this year’s American Graffiti Festival & Car Show in Modesto, organizers said Thursday. The three-day event in June is one of the city’s biggest. Read the story.
Lodi nurse working in Stockton dies from COVID-10
A Lodi nurse working at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Stockton died due to complications from COVID-19, according to the Lodi News Sentinel. Jeff Baumbach passed away from the disease Monday. He was 57. His wife, Karen Baumbach, has been in quarantine at her home for the past two weeks after testing positive for COVID-19. Jeff Baumbach was a nurse, placing incoming Kaiser patients in the appropriate care and treatment departments, and training other nurses for a variety of roles, the newspaper reported.
Farmers market debuts with new rules
The Modesto Certified Farms Market launched its 2020 season Thursday with new rules brought on by the coronavirus. Shoppers are urged not to touch the items for sale and to avoid crowding at the booths. Read Deke Farrow’s story.
Advice for smokers during COVID-19
It’s a message that people who smoke and vape have heard a million times: Please quit. But during this coronavirus pandemic, it’s being delivered with added urgency. Read Deke Farrow’s story.
Around the San Joaquin Valley, U.S.
Rep. Devin Nunes, one of the GOP’s top leaders in the House, thinks it is more dangerous for people to shelter at home right now from the coronavirus than to be exposed to the contagion itself.
One church in Sacramento County is now the epicenter of a major outbreak of coronavirus, and frustrated county officials say church leaders are refusing to listen to their demands to stop fellowship meetings..
Coronavirus cases worldwide have doubled in the last week and reached 1 million confirmed cases Thursday, according to Johns Hopkins University.
This story was originally published April 3, 2020 at 7:40 AM.
