Coronavirus update, June 16: Stanislaus cases spike; bowling, amusement centers back
Here is the latest on the coronavirus outbreak from in and around Modesto and Stanislaus County.
Latest facts on COVID-19 testing in Modesto area
Stanislaus County reported Monday that a 35th resident has died of the coronavirus. Like all the others, the person was at least 50 years old.
Positive tests rose to 1,242, according to the county Health Services Agency. Another 18,725 residents have tested negative. The positivity rate was 6.2%, down from 6.3% the day before.
The number of people hospitalized at some point is at 171, and 876 are presumed to be recovered. The daily hospitalized count of confirmed patients was 44 on Monday, up from 41 the day before.
Among the five county hospitals, 48% of total beds are available, 45% of intensive care unit beds are available, and 83% of ventilators are available.
Of those who tested positive, 55% are female and 45% male. Twelve percent are 20 or younger, 19% are 21 to 30, 19% are 31 to 40, 17% are 41 to 50, 13% are 51 to 60, 8% are 61 to 70, 5% are 71 to 80, 5% are 81 to 90, and 2% are older than 90.
Modesto has 416 positive cases, 229 are in Turlock, 157 are in Ceres, 66 are in Patterson, 60 are in Riverbank, 22 are in Oakdale, 17 are in Newman, 16 are in Waterford, and 11 are in Hughson. Of the cases in unincorporated areas, 102 are in supervisorial District 5, 79 in District 3, 38 in District 2, 21 in District 1 and eight are in District 4.
- San Joaquin County has 42 COVID-19-related deaths among 1,716 cases.
- Merced County has seven deaths among 409 cases.
- Tuolumne County has nine positive cases and zero deaths.
- Mariposa County has 17 positive cases and one death.
As of Tuesday morning there were 143,377 confirmed cases in California and 5,114 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. There were 2,114,026 U.S. cases and 116,127 deaths.
Here is the state tracker.
Stanislaus sees sharp rise in cases
Large spikes in coronavirus cases are hitting Stanislaus County, resulting in the highest number of hospitalizations since the outbreak began in March. Read Ken Carlson’s story.
You can bowl once again, too
As COVID-19 pandemic restrictions continue to be lifted, Stanislaus County is getting back to the business of having fun. Escape Modesto, McHenry Bowl and Funworks have reopened — the latter two only partially — and a few similar businesses are working to follow suit. Read Deke Farrow’s story.
Livingston nut plant has eight cases
Eight employees at a Livingston almond processing plant have tested positive for coronavirus, the Merced County Department of Public Health reported Monday. Read the story.
Bars and gyms return to Stanislaus
This weekend you’ll be able to raise a glass or a barbell officially again as bars, gyms and close to a dozen other industries reopen across Stanislaus County from their nearly three-month coronavirus shutdowns. Read the story by Marijke Rowland and Julian A. Lopez.
West Modesto gets testing site
Residents in west Modesto now have a coronavirus testing location closer to home. The OptumServe testing facility in Keyes was moved on Monday to the Neighborhood Center at Marshall Park on Chicago Avenue, south of Paradise Road. Read Ken Carlson’s story.
Good2Go program readies businesses
As businesses and restaurants reopen and California begins to ease COVID-19 restrictions, owners are looking for a way to tell their customers they’re “good to go” and up to date on all the necessary safety protocols. Read Kristina Karisch’s story.
Editorial: Stanislaus should mandate masks
In the three weeks since Stanislaus County began reopening our economy, COVID-19 numbers here have dramatically increased. Rather than pump the brakes on reopening, county leaders are revving the engine. Read the Modesto Bee editorial.
Around California, United States and world
The American Red Cross announced Monday it will test all blood, platelet and plasma donations for coronavirus antibodies “for a limited time” to help donors learn if they had been exposed to the pathogen despite not showing symptoms. Read the story.
A drug touted by President Donald Trump as a coronavirus treatment has had its emergency use authorization revoked by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Read the story.
Contact tracing isn’t always as simple as it sounds. Health experts have heralded it as a critical component in combating the spread of the coronavirus. But states have faced a myriad of obstacles in trying to ramp up tracing. Read the story.
This story was originally published June 16, 2020 at 6:44 AM.
