Coronavirus update, Sept. 24: Stanislaus County numbers continue to stabilize
Latest facts on COVID-19 testing in Modesto area
Three more county residents have died of the virus, for a total of 342, the Health Services Agency reported Wednesday.
Wednesday’s positive rate of 6.75% was down from 15.02% the day before. The rolling seven-day average was 10.47% The 14-day average was 10.18%, down from 16.6% from the previous 14 days ending Sept. 9. The positive rate since data collection began in March was 16.2%
The county had 27 new positives tests, for a total of 16,425. Another 85,227 residents have tested negative, and 15,758 are presumed recovered.
According to the county, presumed recovered cases are those who have been hospitalized and discharged; or cases that develop symptoms and 14 days have passed following symptom onset; or cases that never developed symptoms and 14 days have passed following specimen collection of their COVID-10 positive test. All other cases that are not presumed recovered are presumed active.
The county’s five hospitals had 63 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, the same as Tuesday. There were 11 available intensive-care beds for adults, down from 12 the day before.
Stanislaus County remains in the lowest, or purple tier, in the state rating system that decides how much restaurants and other businesses can loosen its coronavirus restrictions.
Under the state’s grading system, Stanislaus County’s 5.5% positivity rate meets the 8% standard to be in the red tier, the third of four tiers. However, its 7.6 positive cases per 100,000 is above the seven cases per 100,000 needed to meet requirements.
Once the county moves up a tier into red, as several did across the state Tuesday, it would have to remain there for two weeks before it could enjoy the relaxing of some business restrictions like limited indoor dining and impacts on other sectors.
Of those who tested positive in Stanislaus County:
- 54% are female
- 46% male
- 7% are 14 years or younger
- 16% are ages 15 to 24
- 21% are 25 to 34,
- 18% are 35 to 44,
- 15% are 45 to 54
- 12% are 55 to 64
- 6% are 65 to 74
- 3% are 75 to 84,
- 2% are 85 or older.
- Though they make up 47 percent of the population, Latinos represented 64 percent of the positive cases.
Geographically:
- Modesto has 6,037 positive cases
- Turlock has 2,207
- Ceres has 2,042
- Riverbank has 813
- Patterson has 791
- Oakdale has 362
- Newman has 332
- Waterford has 242
- Hughson has 144
- Supervisorial District 5 has 1,014
- District 3 has 922
- District 2 has 726
- District 1 has 342
- District 4 has 107
In other nearby counties:
- San Joaquin County has 434 COVID-19-related deaths among 20,060 cases.
- Merced County has 140 deaths among 8,828 cases.
- Tuolumne County has 227 cases and four deaths.
- Mariposa County has 75 cases and two deaths.
As of Wednesday evening, there were 796,650 confirmed cases in California and 15,311 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. There were 6,943,071 U.S. cases and 201,930 deaths.
There has been some movement on the reopening of schools in previous weeks, with some having applied for waivers through the Stanislaus County Office of Education. Here also is the state list, which includes Stanislaus private schools seeking waiver approvals.
Details on nail salons, pop-up testing
Tuesday brought the news that Stanislaus County remains in the most restrictive “purple” tier of California’s coronavirus reopening plan. There was a breakthrough for nail salons, which are now allowed to open with indoor service while taking precautions, state health officials said.
Laser Quest might be gone for good
Laser Quest in north Modesto has closed as part of its parent company’s decision to withdraw from the laser tag business. Some undisclosed locations might return under new ownership.
Senior Stride spreads out
After 28 years at East La Loma Park, the Modesto Rotary Club’s Senior Stride this year will be held, well, all over the community.
Modesto Symphony cancels live concerts
The Modesto Symphony Orchestra has canceled its live concerts through March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
$2 million in grants for nonprofits available in Stanislaus County
Stanislaus County nonprofits that provide arts and cultural programs or youth services have until Sept. 25 to apply for $2 million in CARES Act funds.
Restaurant pushes back as $1,000 daily fines pile up
Velvet Grill restaurants say they have not violated state law or created a public nuisance as they continue to serve customers indoors, defying state order.
People are getting back to work
Unemployment in Stanislaus County continues to fall, charting a course for a slow but long-term economic recovery from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Your guide to drive-in movies
For more than a decade, if you wanted to see a movie at a drive-in in the Central Valley you had to travel more than 70 miles to Madera. But now, in the age of coronavirus, the region has multiple drive-in options to choose from for safe family fun.
Amazon adds jobs in Patterson, elsewhere
Amazon is recruiting more than 100,000 workers across the U.S. and Canada in anticipation of the holiday season, over 2,500 of which will be hired across the Central Valley.
Health officials urge residents to get flu shots
Public health officials and medical experts say Americans older than 6 months should be getting an influenza vaccination in 2020, especially during coronavirus.
From around the state, nation and world
As flu season nears, some may be wondering whether receiving a flu vaccine can influence your chances of contracting or being hospitalized by the novel coronavirus, but a new study puts some of those worries to rest.
The coronavirus has dramatically altered our way of living, including how we look at money when it comes to paying for things. In a new study by Travis Credit Union, over half of Americans plan to stop using cash completely after the pandemic.
This story was originally published September 24, 2020 at 4:00 AM.
