Coronavirus update, Dec. 11: ICU index nears zero as cases mount in Stanislaus
Latest facts on COVID-19 testing in Modesto area
Thursday brought another 400-plus new cases of the virus in Stanislaus County, and another decline in a key measure of hospital capacity. Four more deaths were announced, for a total of 458.
The 404 positive tests raised the total to 25,675, the county Health Services Agency said. Another 248,875 people have tested negative, and 21,953 are presumed recovered.
In the last six days, the county has averaged 389 positive results daily, according to the state dashboard.. At the same time, testing has risen dramatically, with an average of more than 2,500 in that same period and a high of 3,342 results announced Wednesday.
A stay-home order has been in place since Sunday because of tight intensive-care capacity for Stanislaus and 11 other counties in the San Joaquin Valley Region.
The order was triggered when available ICU beds for adults dropped below 15% of the total. The figure stood at just 1.9% on Thursday, compared with 4.2% on Wednesday and 5.6% on Tuesday.
Stanislaus County hospitals reported 267 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, including non-ICU beds, up from 254 on Wednesday. Five ICU beds were free, down from six.
The county’s single-day infection rate, according to the state dashboard, fell to 11.22% from 12.21% the day before.
The county’s rolling seven-day positivity rate was at 16.22%, up from 15.12% a day earlier, according to the California Department of Public Health. The 14-day rate was 14.17%, down from 14.25%.
The demographic breakdowns of the positive tests as of Thursday:
- 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 9,228 positive cases
- Turlock has 3,502
- Ceres has 2,795
- Patterson has 1,264
- Riverbank has 1,158
- Oakdale has 702
- Newman has 531
- Waterford has 308
- Hughson has 245
- Supervisorial District 5 has 1,370
- District 3 has 1,330
- District 2 has 1,085
- District 1 has 583
- District 4 has 163
- San Joaquin County has 535 COVID-19-related deaths among 30,816 cases.
- Merced County has 202 deaths among 14,310 cases.
- Tuolumne County has 1,517 cases and 16 deaths.
- Mariposa County has 171 cases and four deaths.
As of Thursday evening, there were 1,487,917 confirmed cases in California and 20,641 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. There were 15,618,438 U.S. cases and 292,190 deaths.
Details on vaccine rollout in Stanislaus
Nearly 4,000 doses of Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine have been allocated to Stanislaus County, but don’t roll up your sleeves just yet. First in line are health care workers in acute care hospitals with the highest risk for exposure.
So what exactly has closed here?
While in many ways the order is similar to the one issued in March, at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, there are significant differences in Stanislaus and nearby counties.
Stan State and sister campuses eye fall 2021
Spurred by the approval of coronavirus vaccines, the 23-campus California State University is planning to return to mostly in-person learning by fall 2021, according to an announcement Wednesday from outgoing CSU Chancellor Timothy White.
High schools pause athletic conditioning
With Stanislaus County under a new stay-at-home order due to the spread of the coronavirus and available hospital ICUs falling under 15% capacity, the county’s health department has suspended athletic conditioning workouts for all high schools.
Tenth Street Place limits public again
Modesto has closed its offices to the public at Tenth Street Place, the city-county government center in downtown, because of the spike in COVID-19 and the governor’s recent stay-at-home order for the San Joaquin Valley.
Drive-thru flu vaccine clinics expand
Starting this week, Stanislaus County public health will host drive-thru flu vaccine clinics in Patterson and Ceres, and additional locations are slated in the coming weeks. All of the vaccines are free and available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Editorial: We know the stay-home drill
The current stay-home order will last a minimum of three weeks. If we refuse to follow proven safety protocols, the burdens borne by the sick, the dying and our businesses will extend beyond.
Area residents discuss need, impacts of lockdown
Stanislaus County residents talk about the need and devastating impacts of Gavin Newsom’s COVID lockdown after ICU bed availability falls to less than 15%.
How to help Stanislaus businesses survive holidays
Modesto and Stanislaus County restaurants and retailers suggest best ways to help them survive new COVID-19 pandemic stay-at-home lockdown order.
What Modesto neighborhood has highest rate of cases?
The Modesto ZIP code 95351 has the highest rate of coronavirus cases in Stanislaus County, showing how the pandemic affects low-income and Latino communities. One family tells a heartbreaking story.
From around the state, nation and world
A U.S. Food and Drug Administration panel recommended the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for emergency use authorization Thursday after an advisory committee reviewed the latest clinical trial data, deciding that the benefits outweigh the risks.
Sen. Josh Hawley introduced legislation Thursday that would provide another round of $1,200 stimulus checks during the coronavirus pandemic as lawmakers continue to struggle to agree on a broader coronavirus package.
The coronavirus has made 2020 a “rough” year for 9-year-old Alani. “I was hoping I could get some Lego sets because my mom said she cant get anything for me for Christmas because she is not getting paid as much,” the child wrote in a letter to Santa.
