Coronavirus update, Oct. 28: Stanislaus positive rate turns back in right direction
Latest facts on COVID-19 testing in Modesto area
Stanislaus County had its lowest positive rate in a week Tuesday, a hopeful sign amid concern that rules on business could tighten anew.
The county Health Services Agency also announced that a 398th resident has died from the virus. Daily deaths have ranged from zero to two for the past three weeks, compared with as many as 14 during the summer surge.
The 28 new cases Tuesday brought the total to 17,714. Another 101,922 people have tested negative, and 16,999 are presumed recovered.
Tuesday’s positive rate of 4.34% was down from the 10.31% on Monday and the lowest since the 2.74% on Oct. 20. The rolling seven-day average was 7.56%, up from 8.17% on Monday. The 14-day average was 7.42%, down from 7.97%. The rate since data collection began in March was 14.8%.
The number of patients with confirmed cases in the five Stanislaus County hospitals rose by five to 49. The number of available adult intensive care unit beds was unchanged at 10.
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Tuesday’s weekly update on how Stanislaus is meeting state measures for reopening brought mixed news. The county barely met the criteria for staying in the red tier, rather than slipping back into purple, the most restrictive. The county must stay in the red tier for at least two more weeks.
Details on the positive cases with some numbers not having been updated for a few weeks:
- 54% are female
- 46% male
- 7% are 14 years or younger, up 1% from Friday.
- 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 as of Tuesday:
- San Joaquin County has 490 COVID-19-related deaths among 21,906 cases.
- Merced County has 155 deaths among 9,572 cases.
- Tuolumne County has 279 cases and four deaths.
- Mariposa County has 79 cases and two deaths.
As of Wednesday morning, there were 915,847 confirmed cases in California and 17,485 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. There were 8,779,839 U.S. cases and 226,733 deaths.
Stanislaus risks backslide on rules
Stanislaus County barely made the cut Tuesday for staying in the coronavirus program’s red tier but residents will have to work hard to avoid a backslide to tighter state restrictions on local businesses.
Lodi gym owner loses shutdown lawsuit
A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit against Gov. Gavin Newsom and San Joaquin County and Lodi officials that had been filed by the owner of three Sacramento-area gyms after officials ordered the shutdown of fitness centers last spring because of COVID-19.
Latest help for homeless totals $22.8 million
Providers that run emergency shelters, conduct homeless outreach and house homeless people in Stanislaus County and its cities are in line to receive nearly $22.8 million from the CARES Act, the federal stimulus designed to respond to the new coronavirus pandemic.
Youngest Turlock students return to campuses
Turlock Unified, the largest district in Stanislaus County so far to begin reopening TK-6 in-person instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic under a waiver from the state, welcomed transitional kindergartners and kindergartners to school campuses Monday morning.
The latest on local museums and galleries
While museums now are allowed to reopen in Modesto, only one has plans at this time to do so. Meanwhile, two of the region’s biggest art galleries have reopened.
Early voting is a hit in Stanislaus
The number of mail ballots returned for the upcoming Nov. 3 election in Stanislaus County is double the amount in 2016, said Donna Linder, county registrar of voters, who’s pleased with the early voting this year.
Modesto and Kansas experts offer Halloween advice
An online forum Wednesday featured expert advice on how to safely celebrate Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos. One speaker was Dr. ChrisAnna Mink, a Modesto Bee health reporter. The other was Dr. Danielle Johnson, a clinical psychologist with the University of Kansas Health System. McClatchy newsrooms teamed up for the event.
Timely story from Modesto family wracked by suicide
Mitchell Brownlee was only 21 when the Modesto native took his own life in 2016. His family shared his story at a time when COVID-19 has added new stresses for vulnerable people.
From around the state, nation and world
Health care personnel made up around 6% of adults hospitalized with COVID-19 at 13 sites, according to a new analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
For some, a coronavirus infection means a pesky cough, low fever and fatigue for a week, but for others, the virus sets up camp and drowns them with symptoms that can last months.
Sen. Rand Paul said Sunday people who have recovered from COVID-19 can not get it again, despite scientific evidence that refutes his claim.
