Newsom sends strike teams, money to counties, including Stanislaus, seeing COVID-19 spike
Gov. Gavin Newsom is sending three coronavirus strike teams to California’s Central Valley as the region battles a spike in COVID-19 cases and is working with lawmakers to send $52 million in federal money to the area.
One of the world’s most productive agricultural regions, the Central Valley is home to a large Latino population, many of whom are essential workers who have not been able to stay home during the coronavirus outbreak.
The region is seeing the virus spread, particularly among Latinos, essential workers and people who live in group settings like jails and nursing homes. The state will have a “laser-like focus” on stemming spread among those groups, Newsom said.
The funding from a federal grant will help bolster testing in eight counties that make up the Central Valley, including Stanislaus County, as well as pay for more supplies and additional support for the medical system, Newsom said during a Tuesday press conference in Stockton.
The Newsom administration is also deploying three strike teams in the Central Valley, just like the state did in hard-hit Imperial County. The teams will include administration officials and community groups who will work to stem the spread of the coronavirus, Newsom said.
The strike teams will include members from the state Office of Emergency Services, Cal OSHA, and public health and social service agencies and will work in partnership with local organizations.
The rate at which people are testing positive for the coronavirus varies from county to county in the Central Valley, with Fresno over 10.7% and Tulare over 17.7%, Newsom said. The statewide positivity rate is around 7.5%.
In some parts of the Valley, transmission rates are escalating at a concerning rate, said Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly. Some hospitals in the region are overwhelmed, with two-thirds of some ICUs filled with COVID-19 patients, he said.
Stanislaus County’s overall positive test rate is 14.2 percent, as the county recorded 1,650 news cases in the past week. It’s seven- and 14-day positivity rates are much higher.
Over 8,200 local cases have been confirmed with 90 deaths. Modesto-area hospitals are caring for 275 patients with confirmed COVID-19 illness or the symptoms. Just 3.4 percent of intensive care beds remained available in Stanislaus County hospitals as of Monday.
Jody Hayes, chief executive officer of Stanislaus County, said he was encouraged with the governor’s emphasis on the Central Valley and promise of more resources.
Hayes said he didn’t know specifically how the funding will be spent. “We have not done any advanced planning,” he said.
Hayes said he expects Stanislaus will see the same kind of technical support the state provided for Imperial County. “I hope we will be in contact with them in the next 24 to 48 hours,” Hayes said.
This story was originally published July 27, 2020 at 2:26 PM.
