Coronavirus update, Dec. 1: New cases, hospital stays spike in Stanislaus County
Latest facts on COVID-19 testing in Modesto area
Stanislaus County reported 448 new cases of the virus Monday, the most since early July, and another increase in hospitalized patients.
Two more people have died, for a total of 426 as of Monday, the county Health Services Agency said.
The county has 22,162 people who have tested positive, 225,072 who tested negative and 19,783 who are presumed recovered.
A total of 196 people were hospitalized Monday with confirmed cases, up from 182 the day before. Six intensive care beds for adults were available, unchanged from Sunday..
The state reported that the county’s positivity rate stood at 5.97% on Sunday, based on 2,127 tests. The rolling seven-day average was 11.3%. The 14-day average was 10.83%.
The state requires a positivity rate of under 8 percent to advance to the next less restrictive tier in its system.
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The demographic breakdowns of the positive tests as of Monday:
- 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 7,870 positive cases
- Turlock has 2,992
- Ceres has 2,450
- Patterson has 1,125
- Riverbank has 1,014
- Oakdale has 538
- Newman has 424
- Waterford has 285
- Hughson has 206
- Supervisorial District 5 has 1,240
- District 3 has 1,164
- District 2 has 951
- District 1 has 472
- District 4 has 144
In other nearby counties:
- San Joaquin County has 509 COVID-19-related deaths among 25,920 cases.
- Merced County has 181 deaths among 12,175 cases.
- Tuolumne County has 1,055 cases and eight deaths.
- Mariposa County has 139 cases and two deaths.
As of Monday evening, there were 1,229,513 confirmed cases in California and 19,213 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. There were 13,536,217 U.S. cases and 268,016 deaths.
Hospitals brace for surge of patients
Stanislaus County reported 448 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, just hours after state health officials released dire projections for a coronavirus surge that could overwhelm hospitals in the region.
Blacks die at disproportionate rate
California’s surgeon general, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, said in a webinar last Monday that African-Americans make up 6% of the state’s population and slightly more than 4% of COVID-19 cases, but account for 7.4% of deaths.
Modesto family loses parents hours apart
Two weeks ago, on Friday the 13th, Ed Pugh of Ceres — suffering with COVID-19 in a Modesto hospital — took his last tortured breath. Sixteen hours later, so did his wife, Retta. Both were 61.
Learning hubs help students struggling most
Students who were struggling with distance learning are finding success in returning to school in small groups. Modesto City Schools set up learning hubs at both elementary and secondary sites, to serve the district’s most at-risk students, including homeless and foster youth.
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.
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.
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.
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.
From around the state, nation and world
The number of coronavirus infections in the U.S. could be nearly eight times higher than current reported cases, according to a new model by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Almost 1.18 million people were screened at U.S. airports on Sunday, marking the busiest day in air travel since the coronavirus pandemic led to widespread restrictions nationwide in March.
As a COVID-19 vaccine nears, bringing hope for an end to the pandemic, criminal organizations big and small will be looking to take advantage by peddling fake and potentially dangerous vaccines of their own, federal authorities warn.
