Coronavirus update, Oct. 10: Stanislaus announces 64 more cases and 2 more deaths

Latest facts on COVID-19 testing in Modesto area

Stanislaus County reported two more deaths Friday, for a total of 383 people since the pandemic arrived.

The 64 new cases brought the total to 16,950, the county Health Services Agency said. It also lists 92,757 residents who have tested negative and 16,324 who are presumed recovered.

Friday’s positive rate was exactly 10% of the 640 tests. That compares with 12.46% on Thursday, 6.83% on Wednesday and a mere 1.74% on Tuesday.

The rolling seven-day average was 8.29% on Friday, up from 8.12% on Thursday. The 14-day average of 7.2% was up from 6.5%. The positive rate since data collection began in March was 15.5%.

The county’s five hospitals had 41 confirmed COVID-19 cases Friday, down from 43 on Thursday. There were 10 available intensive-care beds for adults, down from 12 the day before.

The additional confirmed cases brings to 146 the total number of released positive results in two days. Spikes in numbers could have impact on the county’s ability to move into or, once there, maintain a place in the red tier in the state’s four-stage reopening plan. The state Tuesday will release its new findings, which could allow Stanislaus County businesses, including restaurants, to loosen its restrictions if red tier standards are met for a second straight week.

Of those who tested positive:

• 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 6,461 positive cases
• Turlock has 2,322
• Ceres has 2,160
• Riverbank has 863
• Patterson has 857
• Oakdale has 398
• Newman has 348
• Waterford has 265
• Hughson has 169
• Supervisorial District 5 has 1,101
• District 3 has 977
• District 2 has 760
• District 1 has 374
• District 4 has 124

In other nearby counties:

• San Joaquin County has 473 COVID-19-related deaths among 20,828 cases.
  
  
• Merced County has 150 deaths among 9,149 cases.
  
  
• Tuolumne County has 237 cases and four deaths.
  
  
• Mariposa County has 77 cases and two deaths.

As of Saturday morning, there were 849,729 confirmed cases in California and 16,506 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. There were 7,665,256 U.S. cases and 213,795 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.

Update on elementary schools

More school districts in Stanislaus County are submitting waivers to reopen TK-6 in-person learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, among the latest being Turlock and Salida, whose boards approved plans Tuesday.

Kids’ pumpkin stand aids first responders

“The real sheriff?” 8-year-old George Bogetti exclaimed Wednesday morning when he learned Stanislaus County Sheriff Jeff Dirkse would be visiting the pumpkin stand he and his family put together to help first responders.

Nurses picket San Joaquin General

Registered nurses picketed San Joaquin General Hospital in French Camp on Thursday amid a five-day strike, saying county leaders are not addressing their concerns over patient care, staffing, and protections against the new coronavirus.

Stanislaus could qualify for red coronavirus status

Stanislaus County has finally met both criteria for leaving the most restrictive tier of California coronavirus reopening program.

COVID-19 financial woes hit national chains

Some well known brands in Modesto are in trouble as the coronavirus pandemic wears on.

Experts offer ideas for post-pandemic local economy

To succeed in a post-pandemic world, Stanislaus County needs to focus on the quality of life it can offer to current and prospective residents as movement out of more expensive regions accelerates, local experts said last week.

Mayor wants Modesto to stop enforcing COVID rules

Modesto Mayor Ted Brandvold wants the city to stop enforcing the COVID-19 rules so more of the economy and everyday life can return to normal.

Amid pandemic, postponed Love Modesto brings out thousands

The Love Modesto community service event brings out thousands. Citywide cleaning event with 50 projects goes on despite pandemic, with a virtual rally instead.

From around the state, nation and world

A California evangelical college has told its entire student body of more than 1,600 people to quarantine after 137 coronavirus cases were reported at the school.

If the turkey you serve at Thanksgiving is smaller than usual this year, blame the pandemic. Some grocery stores are ordering smaller birds as they anticipate more intimate family meals, multiple news outlets reported this week.

As the pandemic rages on, research on different types of coronavirus tests continues in an effort to increase testing capacity and minimize contact with others.

This story was originally published October 10, 2020 at 5:56 AM.

John Holland

The Modesto Bee

209-578-2385

John Holland covers agriculture, transportation and general assignment news. He has been with The Modesto Bee since 2000 and previously worked at newspapers in Sonora and Visalia. He was born and raised in San Francisco and has a journalism degree from UC Berkeley.