Coronavirus update, April 9: Two more deaths in Merced; Stanislaus lists recoveries
Here is the latest on the coronavirus pandemic as it relates to Stanislaus County:
Latest facts on COVID-19 tests in Modesto area
Stanislaus County reported Wednesday afternoon that 95 people have tested positive for the virus and 1,980 tested negative. Thirty-two of the positive cases were hospitalized. Deaths remain at zero.
For the first time, the county reported how many people have recovered from coronavirus. That count is at 59.
Modesto has 43 of the positive cases, 17 are in unincorporated areas, 10 are in Ceres, eight are in Patterson, five are in Waterford, four are in Turlock and three are in Riverbank. The other cases were not reported by city because of medical privacy rules regarding smaller cities.
Wednesday’s report did not have updates on gender and age. As of Tuesday, 46 of the people who tested positive were female and 44 male. Three were 17 or younger, 44 are between 18 and 49, 26 are between 50 and 64, and 17 are 65 or older.
- San Joaquin County has 14 COVID-19-related deaths among 237 cases.
- Merced County reported its second and third deaths Wednesday, a man and a woman, both over 65. Total cases rose to 40 and recoveries stood at three. Of those who tested positive, 21 are female and 19 male. One is 17 or younger, 26 are between 18 and 49, 12 are between 50 and 64, and three are 65 or older. Twenty-one are on the east side of the county, 19 on the west side.
- Tuolumne County has two cases and no deaths.
- Mariposa County still has no cases.
As of Thursday morning, there were 19,063 confirmed cases in California and 507 deaths, according to the Los Angeles Times. There were 429,264 U.S. cases and 14,820 deaths, according to the New York Times.
Here is the state tracker.
Restaurants offer Easter takeout
Looking for a little normalcy in these tumultuous times? These Modesto and Central Valley restaurants will help you tuck into a nice Easter dinner with all the fixings this weekend. Read Marijke Rowland’s Biz Beat column.
Stanislaus chairwoman commiserates
During this COVID-19 pandemic, many people are struggling with feelings of uncertainty, anxiety, and exhaustion, as life as we knew it suddenly turned upside down. Read Supervisor Kristin Olsen’s guest comment.
City workforce rebounds
The city workers who trim trees, clear clogged sewer lines, fill potholes and do similar work are back on the job full time after Modesto had them work part time but at full pay as one of its efforts to keep employees safe during the pandemic. Read Kevin Valine’s story.
An unusual place for prayer
About a dozen people stood on the roof of the 15-story DoubleTree Hotel to pray for Modesto-area residents affected by the coronavirus. Read John Holland’s story.
Egg-hunting via Minecraft
Shelter Cove Community Church has found an innovative way to give children a chance to hunt for Easter eggs, despite the coronavirus pandemic. Read Pat Clark’s story.
Donate blood and more
Officials at Vitalent, the nation’s second largest blood collector, are hoping more residents in Merced and Stanislaus counties step up to donate amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Read Abbie Lauten-Scrivner’s story.
Know of a ‘hero’ in your area? Let us know
Do you know of someone who is making a difference — big or small — in helping our community or individuals get through the impacts of the pandemic? Let us know. Take our survey in Julian A. Lopez’s story.
Around the San Joaquin Valley, California, the world
The California Department of Public Health reported Wednesday that 1,651 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been among health care workers, a figure that is just under 10 percent of the state’s confirmed coronavirus cases.
As world coronavirus cases reached 1.5 million on Wednesday, Johns Hopkins University reported that over 300,000 recoveries have been confirmed across the globe.
Costco updated its coronavirus policies to include priority access to members who are healthcare workers or first responders, the company’s website says.
As toilet paper sometimes becomes hard to find, people in the U.S. are starting to embrace the bidet, a common European bathroom fixture that uses clean water from a pressurized jet (or faucet-style spout) to clean your delicate area after you finish doing your business, USA Today reported.
This story was originally published April 9, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Coronavirus update, April 9: Two more deaths in Merced; Stanislaus lists recoveries."
