Coronavirus

Coronavirus update, Nov. 16: Stanislaus cases remain high as tier announcement nears

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Latest facts on COVID-19 testing in Modesto area

As Stanislaus County awaits a coronavirus tier verdict on Tuesday, numbers released Sunday by its Health Services Agency remained high.

There were 132 new cases reported by the county exactly a month to the day it reported just 30 cases in a single day. Its four-day average is 142.

Tempering the bad news Sunday was that hospitalizations of confirmed positive patients grew by just one to 89, and zero deaths were reported for a second straight day.

But, according to the most recent state data from Saturday, the county’s seven-day infection rate grew to 9.58%, up from 9.25% the day before, and the 14-day rate stood at 7.74%, up from 7.34%. The state’s 14-day average is 4.4%.

Although some feel its a long shot, the county, which is in the red tier, is hoping to stay out of the state’s purple tier, the most business-restrictive category in the system used by the California Public Department of Health to rate the pandemic’s spread by county.

However, the rising numbers being witnessed in the county are being seen throughout the nation, state and nearby counties. In Tuolumne County, which is in the orange tier, its 14-day infection rate has grown to 9.6%, up 6.6% from 14 days ago. Merced’s infection rate over the past 14 days has grown by 4% to 9%. San Joaquin County is at 7.6%, up 2.6% from two weeks ago.

The Health Services Agency reports that 19,276 Stanislaus County residents have tested positive as of Sunday. Another 111,771 have tested negative, and 17,901 are presumed recovered.

covid map 1027
covid map 1027

Of the positive cases through Saturday:

  • 54% are female
  • 46% male
  • 8% are 14 years or younger
  • 16% are ages 15 to 24
  • 20% 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 7,153 positive cases
  • Turlock has 2,719
  • Ceres has 2,347
  • Patterson has 1,007
  • Riverbank has 949
  • Oakdale has 478
  • Newman has 389
  • Waterford has 291
  • Hughson has 200
  • Supervisorial District 5 has 1,224
  • District 3 has 1,080
  • District 2 has 905
  • District 1 has 427
  • District 4 has 150

ZIP Codes (highest per 10,000 residents):

  • 95351 (west/south Modesto)
  • 95307 (Ceres)

  • 95328 (Keyes).

  • 95358 (west Stanislaus County)
  • 95363 (Patterson)

In other nearby counties:

As of Monday morning, there were 1,032,932 confirmed cases in California and 18,265 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. There were 11,038,998 U.S. cases and 246,224 deaths.

The reasons behind Stanislaus County’s uptick

Coronavirus infections are increasing in Stanislaus County as local health officials await a state decision on a claim to keep sectors of the economy open.

How Modesto office space adapts to COVID-19

The coronavirus pandemic has changed the nature of office work in Modesto and other cities in the Central Valley of California. How can businesses adapt?

Youngest Modesto students start to return

Back in August, Modesto City Schools students had their first day of instruction this academic year. Thursday, many of the youngest of them had their first day at school.

Experts discuss what’s safe for schoolkids

Local health care professionals, who are on the front lines during the pandemic, offered their opinions about choosing a child’s learning path during this uncertain time.

Turlock has $800,000 to aid businesses

Turlock businesses facing financial hardship because of COVID-19 can apply for grants this month through one of several city programs designed to provide relief to the community.

Pandemic challenges veteran groups

As veteran groups appeal to the state to loosen restrictions on posts and halls during the COVID-19 pandemic, some local chapters have been leaning heavily on takeout and limited-seating meals to stay afloat.

County disputes state on tier

Stanislaus County was among three counties in California that were reassigned Tuesday to the most restrictive tier of the state’s blueprint for slowing the coronavirus pandemic. But county officials say the purple tier designation was a mistake.

The latest on MCS junior high return

Seventh- and eighth-graders will return to Modesto City Schools classrooms starting Jan. 19 if Stanislaus County has been in the red tier on the state’s COVID-19 monitoring list for two consecutive weeks.

Nonprofits must adapt to the times

Local nonprofits must innovate and collaborate to succeed during the coronavirus pandemic and maximize their reach across Stanislaus County, organization leaders said during a Friday webinar.

Program aids downtown businesses in Stanislaus

Turns out, there is such thing as half a free lunch. A massive injection of taxpayer-supported COVID-19 relief money is going into a program designed to help area restaurants and other retailers struggling during the pandemic.

From around the state, nation and world

Mexico on Saturday topped 1 million registered coronavirus cases and nearly 100,000 test-confirmed deaths, though officials agree the number is probably much higher.

If you were planning to travel for Thanksgiving, the state of California is asking you not to do so. But if you must, the state Department of Public Health has issued a travel advisory urging travelers to the state to observe a 14-day self-quarantine upon arrival.

Despite painstaking efforts to keep election sites safe, some poll workers who came in contact with voters on Election Day have tested positive for the coronavirus, including more than two dozen in Missouri and others in New York, Iowa, Indiana and Virginia.

Follow More of Our Reporting on Coronavirus in California

Brian Clark
The Modesto Bee
Editor Brian Clark has worked at The Modesto Bee since 1990. He’s worked in various departments, including sports, news and on the digital side for a decade before being promoted to editor in 2018. He’s a native of Berkeley and a graduate of San Diego State University. Prior to The Bee, Brian worked at the Turlock Journal and Las Vegas Review-Journal.
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