Coronavirus update, April 17: Turlock family copes with death; driving misdeeds rise
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 remained at four deaths Thursday. It reported that 187 people have now tested positive for the virus and 2,882 have tested negative. Forty-seven people have been hospitalized, and 81 have recovered.
Of those who tested positive, 99 are male and 88 female. Seven are 17 or younger, 105 are between 18 and 49, 44 are between 50 and 64, and 31 are 65 or older.
Modesto has 76 of the positive cases, 31 are in unincorporated areas, 25 are in Ceres, 14 are in Patterson, 13 are in Turlock, seven are in Newman, six are in Riverbank, six are in Waterford, and five are in Oakdale. The other cases were not reported by city because of medical privacy rules regarding smaller cities.
- San Joaquin County has 17 COVID-19-related deaths among 369 cases.
- Merced County is at 82 cases, with three deaths. Of those who tested positive, 47 are female and 35 male. Three are 17 or younger, 52 are between 18 and 49, 20 are between 50 and 64, and seven are 65 or older. The cities where a breakdown was provided include Los Banos with 31, Merced with 16, Gustine with seven and Atwater with six.
- Tuolumne County has two cases and no deaths.
- Mariposa County has no cases.
As of Thursday evening, there were 28,156 confirmed cases in California and 973 deaths, according to the Los Angeles Times. There were 667,945 U.S. cases and 30,665 deaths, according to the New York Times.
Here is the state tracker.
Turlock man loved church, soccer
Jose Valencia is begging people to take COVID-19 seriously after his father died from the disease. The coronavirus cut Turlock resident Pedro Zuniga‘s life short at age 52 and prevented the family from holding his hand in his final moments. Read Kristin Lam’s story.
Bad driving ticks up
Police traffic units around Stanislaus County are noticing a trend in dangerous driving behavior since the state’s stay-at-home order went into effect. Read Erin Tracy’s story.
Back to jail in two days
One of the dozens of inmates released Monday from the Stanislaus County Jail under a statewide emergency rule related to coronavirus concerns re-offended two days later, according to the Sheriff’s Department. Read Erin Tracy’s story.
Foster Farms workers worry
No employees have been confirmed as infected with the virus at Foster Farms plants in Fresno, Livingston or Turlock. Still, some workers wonder whether enough is being done to keep them safe from the spread of the contagion. Read Tim Sheehan’s story.
Sonora residents protest
Close to 100 people assembled in downtown Sonora on Wednesday afternoon to protest state and local restrictions over the coronavirus pandemic, according to area newspapers. Read Erin Tracy’s story.
Around the San Joaquin Valley, California, U.S.
Los Banos is mandating face coverings for employees and customers of certain businesses in response to an unusually high number of COVID-19 cases.
The coronavirus has officially launched California into a recession, and a potentially severe one that could last for several budget cycles, state lawmakers and financial experts say.
President Trump unveiled a new set of guidelines for the nation’s governors Thursday that lays out a three-phased approach to reopening the country and getting the economy back on track.
The coronavirus has officially launched California into a recession, and a potentially severe one that could last for several budget cycles, state lawmakers and financial experts say. “We are embarking on difficult fiscal times,” said Sen. Holly Mitchell, an L.A. Democrat and chair of the Senate Special Budget Subcommittee on COVID-19 Response. Read The Sacramento Bee’s Hannah Wiley’s story.
