Coronavirus update, Nov. 26: Stanislaus has 343 new cases, 167 patients in hospitals
Latest facts on COVID-19 testing in Modesto area
New cases of the virus hit another three-month high in Stanislaus County, as hospital counts continue to rise, too.
The state reported 343 positive tests in the county Tuesday, the most since the 365 on Aug. 26. The number needs to average 40 or fewer to start reversing the limits on gatherings that tightened earlier this month.
The county’s positivity shot up to 23.65% on Tuesday, based on 1,450 tests. The rolling seven-day average was 12.62%. The 14-day average was 11.96%.
The state requires a positivity rate of under 8 percent to advance to the next less restrictive tier in its system.
Two more residents have died of COVID-19, for a total of 422 as of Wednesday, the county Health Services Agency announced.
The county has 21,145 people who have tested positive, 215,999 who tested negative and 19,023 who are presumed recovered.
A total of 167 people were hospitalized Wednesday with confirmed cases of the virus, up from 164 the day before. The number was around 40 for much of early fall. Nine intensive care beds for adults were available Wednesday, down from 13.
The demographic breakdowns of the positive tests as of Wednesday:
- 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 7,481 positive cases
- Turlock has 2,862
- Ceres has 2,332
- Patterson has 1,083
- Riverbank has 974
- Oakdale has 487
- Newman has 409
- Waterford has 277
- Hughson has 200
- Supervisorial District 5 has 1,213
- District 3 has 1,132
- District 2 has 911
- District 1 has 444
- District 4 has 141
In other nearby counties:
- San Joaquin County has 504 COVID-19-related deaths among 25,675 cases.
- Merced County has 179 deaths among 11,537 cases.
- Tuolumne County has 908 cases and eight deaths.
- Mariposa County has 124 cases and two deaths.
As of Thursday morning, there were 1,163,645 confirmed cases in California and 18,984 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. There were 12,780,047 U.S. cases and 262,283 deaths.
Modesto doctor: Virus really does kill
She looks at the box of dead people on her desk. It is almost full. Whenever she hears someone say that COVID-19 is not dangerous, that masks are not necessary, or that most people don’t die, she wants to invite them to visit her box of dead people.
Foster Farms stands ready to aid chefs
Foster Farms expects more questions than usual about how to cook its Thanksgiving turkeys this year due to the advice against large gathering. And it reports selling more small birds than usual.
Cases surge, vaccine looms
As COVID-19 cases shoot higher, Stanislaus County leaders don’t have many answers for bringing the surge under control. But local health officials are scrambling to prepare for a mid-December arrival of coronavirus vaccine for front line health workers.
Stanislaus jail has ‘minor’ outbreak
The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department is reporting a “minor” coronavirus outbreak in its jail system. The outbreak was discovered Nov. 16 during screening required for inmates being sent to state prison.
MJC Turkey Trot goes virtual
The Turkey Trot and Gobbler Walk, which supports Modesto Junior College’s cross country and track and field programs, has gone virtual because of the pandemic.
Job creation could stall in winter
Unemployment in Stanislaus County continued to fall in October, but increased coronavirus restrictions could again cause a temporary rise in the jobless numbers as winter approaches.
How has on-campus learning gone in Oakdale?
The past five weeks in Oakdale have reinforced what most educators and families already agree upon: Distance learning doesn’t come close to in-person instruction, and there’s no 100% safe way to have children and adults on campuses.
How to stay safe on Thanksgiving
With small gatherings of friends and families fueling the autumn surge, public health officials have strongly encouraged everyone to rethink, and ideally avoid, large gatherings for Thanksgiving. Local leaders are planning big changes to how they are celebrating this year.
Christmas events, pandemic-style
Several communities and groups still plan to bring some holiday spirit to the region at the end of what’s been a festive-challenged year.
Pandemic aggravates eating disorders
Isolation at home and the stress of the coronavirus pandemic evidently is driving a large number of referrals for people seeking help for eating disorders.
Salvation Army, others will skip sit-down meals
The annual tradition of The Salvation Army and Modesto Gospel Mission serving sit-down meals with all the trimmings over Thanksgiving and Christmas to thousands of men, women and children won’t happen this year because of the new coronavirus pandemic, and efforts to adapt have proved difficult.
From around the state, nation and world
Optimism among athletes, coaches, parents, boosters and backers remains high for high school sports to start in January, even if the outlook is a great deal more grim within the governing bodies of California prep sports.
Government officials said the first 6.4 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine will be distributed to all states and territories around mid-December, assuming the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will deem it safe.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, expects a role in the incoming administration and would serve in a senior position if called upon by President-elect Joe Biden.
