Coronavirus update, Dec. 15: Stanislaus adds 654 cases as ICU index returns to zero
Latest facts on COVID-19 in Modesto area
Stanislaus County reported 654 new cases of the coronavirus Monday, continued to see a record number of hospitalizations and once again witnessed the San Joaquin Valley Region’s intensive care unit adult bed availability fall to 0%.
Five more residents died in Stanislaus County, for a total of 478 since the pandemic began in the spring, the Health Services Agency said.
Stanislaus County hospitals reported 331 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday, including non-ICU beds, up from 324 on Sunday. The count had been around 40 earlier in autumn after a summer that saw on July 23 a record number of 232 patients, according to the state.
The county reports that 27,398 people have tested positive, 259,487 have tested negative and 23,067 are presumed recovered.
A stay-home order started Dec. 6 because of tight ICU 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 hit zero Saturday, rose to 1.5% on Sunday and was back to zero Monday.
The 14-day positivity rate, according to state data, was 12.98%, down from 13.38% the previous day. The seven-day rate was 15.01%, up from 14.87%.
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 9,796 positive cases
- Turlock has 3,686
- Ceres has 2,935
- Patterson has 1,326
- Riverbank has 1,229
- Oakdale has 775
- Newman has 577
- Waterford has 315
- Hughson has 260
- Supervisorial District 5 has 1,427
- District 3 has 1,416
- District 2 has 1,156
- District 1 has 618
- District 4 has 172
- San Joaquin County has 535 COVID-19-related deaths among 31,784 cases.
- Merced County has 207 deaths among 14,483 cases.
- Tuolumne County has 1,760 cases and 19 deaths.
- Mariposa County has 180 cases and four deaths.
As of Tuesday morning, there were 1,611,647 confirmed cases in California and 21,147 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. There were 16,520,408 U.S. cases and 300,494 deaths.
County secures cold freezers for vaccines
The first allocation of Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is expected to arrive in Stanislaus County on Tuesday, a record-breaking four days after receiving emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Free money part of the RAD Card program
Everyone could use a little free money this time of year. And now the RAD Card is going to give Stanislaus County residents even more just in time for the holidays.
COVID keeps spreading at Stanislaus nursing facilities
Ongoing outbreaks pushed the number of COVID-19 cases among nursing home residents in Stanislaus County past new records this week.
Where will patients go for ICU care?
The number of staffed intensive care unit beds available in Stanislaus County fell to just four of the approximately 115 beds, or 4.6%, on Friday. The capacity of ICU beds in the San Joaquin Valley region, Stanislaus County’s next tier for medical resources, is also stretched to its limit, with only 4.5% of staffed beds available.
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.
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.
From around the state, nation and world
A majority of Americans said they would get the COVID-19 vaccine but their willingness depended on their political affiliation and timing, according to a poll released Monday.
The number of daily coronavirus deaths in the United States will likely exceed the death toll of two of America’s deadliest events for the next two or three months, according to a top health official.
A Santa Claus who took photos with dozens of kids was diagnosed with COVID-19, officials say. The Georgia man tested positive for the disease after playing the role of Santa at holiday-themed festivities last week.
This story was originally published December 15, 2020 at 5:41 AM.
