Coronavirus

Coronavirus update, Dec. 17: Stanislaus County COVID-related deaths nearing 500

Latest facts on COVID-19 in Modesto area

Stanislaus County headed toward its deadliest month since September with the announcement Wednesday of seven more fatalities tied to the coronavirus.

Through 16 days of December, the county has reported 62 deaths, has a total of 490 since the start of the pandemic and has the third highest death rate in the state, according to data.

In September, 102 residents died the COVID-19 following 148 fatalities in August, according to county figures.

In the last two months, the county was reporting one or two deaths per day – sometimes none. In December, upwards of eight have been announced in one day.

The county will soon join 10 of the state’s 58 counties with 500 or more deaths, a list that includes Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties in addition to Sacramento and Fresno.

Nine of those counties are among the 10 most populous in California. Stanislaus County is 16th.

Meanwhile, the county also on Wednesday announced 468 more positive case, the 13th straight day of more than 314. The rolling 14-day infection rate grew to 15.5%, up slightly from the day before, and 14.96% over the last seven days.

As of Wednesday afternoon, there were three available adult intensive care unit beds available in the county as the state-designated San Joaquin Valley Region’s availability fell again to 0%.

The number of COVID-confirmed hospitalized patients in the county’s five hospital fell to 322, down from 335.

In the county, 28,266 people who have tested positive, 265,350 have tested negative and 23,966 are presumed recovered.

The demographic breakdowns of the positive tests as of Tuesday:

  • 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 10,195 positive cases
  • Turlock has 3,843
  • Ceres has 3,045
  • Patterson has 1,387
  • Riverbank has 1,280
  • Oakdale has 819
  • Newman has 609
  • Waterford has 325
  • Hughson has 269
  • Supervisorial District 3 has 1,487
  • District 5 has 1,465
  • District 2 has 1,204
  • District 1 has 650
  • District 4 has 179

As of Wednesday morning, there were 1,714,945 confirmed cases in California and 21,889 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. There were 16,981,302 U.S. cases and 307,512 deaths.

Modesto nurses charge staffing ratios is ‘not safe’

Nurses at two Kaiser Permanente hospitals in the Northern San Joaquin Valley are protesting a state executive decision to allow more flexible nurse-to-patient ratios as medical centers struggle with the coronavirus pandemic.

Stanislaus County’s COVID death rate among worst

Stanislaus County has the third highest death rate per capita in California from the coronavirus outbreak, according to a statewide tracking system.

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.

Live Q&A will feature Dr. Mink of The Bee

Join Modesto Bee editor Brian Clark and health reporter Dr. ChrisAnna Mink at 10 a.m. Monday, Dec. 21, for a live Q&A about COVID-19 vaccines.

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.

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

Making sure people wear masks at schools is a challenge during the coronavirus pandemic, but a new app from a Seattle-based company is helping, The Seattle Times reported.

French President Emmanuel Macron tested positive for COVID-19 Thursday, following a week when he has met with numerous European leaders.

The mayor of a historic western Kansas town resigned amid backlash over a mask mandate and national attention on COVID-19 in the community.

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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