Coronvirus update, Dec. 31: Deaths in Stanislaus surpass 600; ICU’s struggle again
Latest facts on COVID-19 in Modesto area
Stanislaus County topped 600 deaths to COVID-19 with the 12 reported Wednesday. Overall hospital capacity improved slightly, but intensive-care units remained stressed.
The county Health Services Agency announced 180 of the 608 deaths in December, by far the worst month since its first in April. The previous high was 152 in August.
According to the Los Angeles Times tracker, the county now ranks second among the 58 counties in deaths per 100,000 residents. Its 112.7 deaths per 100,000 residents is only behind Imperial County, which has the worst rate in the state at 229.7 Merced County ranks fifth (93.7) and San Joaquin County seventh (85.8).
The county’s five hospitals had 323 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, down from 327 on Tuesday. It was the third straight decline and lowest total in 10 days but still about 100 more patients than during the summer surge.
A stay-at-home order took effect Dec. 6 because of tight ICU space in Stanislaus and 11 other counties in the San Joaquin Valley Region. It was triggered when available staffed ICU beds for adults fell below 15% of the total. The index has been at zero for 13 straight days, and the order could last through January.
Stanislaus County reported six available ICU beds on Wednesday afternoon, down from seven the day before.
The county reported 242 new cases Wednesday, for a total of 34,141. Stanislaus also has 303,049 negative test results and 29,911 people who are presumed recovered from the virus.
The 14-day positive rate was at 14.85% and the seven-day rate at 14.31%.
Information regarding vaccinations in Stanislaus County is on the county dashboard at schsa.org/coronavirus/vaccine/.
The demographic breakdowns of the positive tests in Stanislaus County as of Wednesday:
- 54% are female
- 46% male
- 7.6% are 14 years or younger
- 16.1% are ages 15 to 24
- 19.7% are 25 to 34,
- 17.5% are 35 to 44,
- 15.1% are 45 to 54
- 12% are 55 to 64
- 6.5% are 65 to 74
- 3.5% are 75 to 84
- 2% are 85 or older.
- Though they make up 47 percent of the population, Latinos represented 63.7 percent of the positive cases.
Geographically:
- Modesto has 12,366 positive cases
- Turlock has 4,707
- Ceres has 3,692
- Patterson has 1,689
- Riverbank has 1,539
- Oakdale has 1,032
- Newman has 748
- Waterford has 389
- Hughson has 328
- Supervisorial District 3 has 1,775
- District 5 has 1,687
- District 2 has 1,446
- District 1 has 765
- District 4 has 235
- San Joaquin County has 634 COVID-19-related deaths among 45,345 cases.
- Merced County has 252 deaths among 19,245 cases.
- Tuolumne County has 2,921 cases and 21 deaths.
- Mariposa County has 234 cases and four deaths.
As of Thursday morning, there were 2,265,300 confirmed cases in California and 25,417 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. There were 19,745,888 U.S. cases and 342,414 deaths.
Stay-home order isn’t going anywhere soon
Stanislaus County and the rest of the San Joaquin Valley region remains under a state stay-home order designed to slow a winter surge of the coronavirus pandemic.
Modesto bus drivers, staff contract COVID-19
Modesto Area Express buses are making fewer trips after about a dozen of its employees tested positive for COVID-19, according to the city.
State Theatre saves some money
If you drive past Modesto’s State Theatre and see its marquee has gone dark, worry not — the lights will shine again. The marquee went off Friday, according to executive director Kirstie Boyett, to save money while the theater is closed.
Health officer has year-end message
This week we mark the end of 2020. This has been a truly difficult year with the pandemic taking an enormous toll. There has been great loss of life; one of every 1,000 Stanislaus County residents has lost their life to the COVID-19 pandemic.
These Modesto, Stanislaus businesses defied odds
These are the restaurants, retailers and other businesses opened in Stanislaus County in 2020 despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Nursing homes in Stanislaus County to get vaccine
CVS Pharmacy is beginning a vaccine rollout starting, bringing coronavirus vaccinations to residents and staff members in nursing homes in Stanislaus County.
Opera Modesto has online plans
Opera Modesto plans a slate of Festival @ Home productions through the summer of 2021. The on-demand online shows will run for eight months, beginning with “Mansfield Park,” from a January production at the State Theatre.
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.
From around the state, nation and world
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Wednesday a new phased strategy for California schools to resume in-person instruction by early spring, proposing $2 billion in spending to help them safely reopen.
A mutated variant of the coronavirus thought to have originated in the United Kingdom has been confirmed in Southern California, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday during a conversation with Dr. Anthony Fauci.
A series of “Let Us Worship” protest rallies planned Wednesday and Thursday in Los Angeles are “not welcome” as the city fights a COVID-19 surge, officials and faith leaders say.
