Coronavirus update, July 13: County reaches new high in single-day infection rate
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
As Stanislaus County neared the 5,000 mark for residents testing positive for the coronavirus, Sunday marked the highest one-day infection rate since the agency began keeping track in early March.
Of the 868 test results announced, 241 were positive for an infection rate of 27.76%, beating the 23.62% mark set four days earlier and bringing the overall number to 11.6%. Its 14-day rate of 13.01% is well above the state average of 7.5%. The rolling seven-day rate of infection stood at 17.56%. The day before, it was 14.81%.
The total number of positives ranks 14th overall in the 58-county state, just ahead of Contra Costa County (4,650) and behind Sacramento County (5,367), according to state data.
The number of hospitalizations remained the same as Saturday’s at 172. The county’s 8.0 ICU patients per 100,000 people is the second highest in the state next to Imperial County (8.9). The total of 45 ICU patients ranks 11th in the state.
Among the five county hospitals, 38% of total beds are available, as are 31% of intensive care unit beds and 70% of ventilators.
There were 99 more positive cases announced Saturday out of 766 tests for a one-day positivity rate of 12.92, down from 20.66 from a day before. The overall rate since its first case in March stood even at 11.2%. Its 14-day rate of 12.15% is above the state average of 7.4%. The rolling seven-day rate of infection stood at 14.81%. The day before, it was 13.57%%
The number of deaths due to COVID-19 remained at 51.
Positive tests stand at 4,973, according to the county Health Services Agency. Another 37,985 residents have tested negative.
Of those who tested positive, 55% are female and 45% male. Fourteen percent are 20 or younger, 20% are 21 to 30, 19% are 31 to 40, 17% are 41 to 50, 14% are 51 to 60, 7% are 61 to 70, 4% are 71 to 80, 4% are 81 to 90, and 2% are older than 90.
Though they make up 47 percent of the population, Latinos represented 73 percent of the positive cases.
Modesto has 1,229 positive cases, 456 are in Ceres, 446 are in Turlock, 161 are in Patterson, 157 are in Riverbank, 65 are in Waterford, 60 are in Oakdale, 46 are in Newman, and 28 are in Hughson. Of the cases in unincorporated areas, 272 are in supervisorial District 5, 245 are in District 3, which includes Salida, 116 are in District 2, 56 are in District 1, and 20 are in District 4.
- San Joaquin County has 68 COVID-19-related deaths among 6,279 cases.
- Merced County has 12 deaths among 1,884 cases.
- Tuolumne County has 73 positive cases and zero deaths.
- Mariposa County has 31 positive cases and one death.
San Joaquin, Merced and Mariposa did not update numbers on Sunday.
As of Monday morning, there were 324,543 confirmed cases in California and 7,051 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. There were 3,304,942 U.S. cases and 135,205 deaths.
Here is the state tracker.
Modesto restaurants expand dining while city mulls policies
While it might seem as simple as throwing out some chairs and popping open an umbrella, expanding outdoor seating in Stanislaus County comes with risk and legal complications for area restaurants. See Marijke Rowland’s story.
Grading Stanislaus leadership in the coronavirus crisis
Reflecting on Stanislaus County leaders’ performance since the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic struck four months ago. Some good work, some embarrassing missteps. Read The Bee’s Editorial Board’s take.
Children rely on schools for more than academics
The importance of in-person learning is well documented, and there is already evidence of the negative impacts on children because of school closures in the spring. Read a guest column by Superintendent Scott Kuykendall.
Stanislaus County hospitals feel the stress
A recent explosion of coronavirus cases continues to send patients to hospitals in the Northern San Joaquin Valley. Stanislaus and San Joaquin are among the counties most impacted by coronavirus in California. See Ken Carlson’s story.
Trial by jury amid pandemic
Stanislaus Superior Court has resumed jury trials and other operations with social distancing and other steps to protect everyone from COVID-19. Read Erin Tracy’s story.
Surge postpones Modesto area art venue plans.
Arts venues in the Modesto region are facing new delays given the upswing in coronavirus cases. A surge in reported cases in parts of California, including Stanislaus County, caused a rollback of some reopenings. See Pat Clark’s story.
Modesto nurses, doctors fret over masks
You won’t see nurses at Modesto hospitals covering their faces with bandannas to keep from catching the coronavirus. But a limited supply of N95 respirator masks and gowns persists and it’s increasing the risk that nurses and doctors will become infected with the virulent illness. Read Ken Carlson’s story.
Stanislaus schools will resume one way or another
Starting the school year doesn’t necessarily equate to reopening schools for in-person learning, though that remains the goal for Modesto City Schools and other Stanislaus County school districts. Read Deke Farrow’s story.
Around California, United States and world
Sunday, Florida reported the most new COVID-19 cases any state has in a single day, 15,300. Sunday’s Florida Department of Health update blew past the previous high, 12,274 by New York on April 4, as reported by the New York Times, by 3,026 or 24.6%. See the story.
Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy said he will repackage his paid family leave proposal as a five-year pilot program in the hopes that it will pass Congress this month as part of the coronavirus stimulus legislation. Read the story.
A spontaneous virtual forum for eulogies, anguish and condolences has now turned into an activist group that is providing a steady stream of testimony and evidence to prosecutors investigating whether any crimes contributed to Italy’s COVID-19 toll. See the story.
This story was originally published July 13, 2020 at 6:34 AM.
