Coronavirus

Coronavirus update, March 5: Stanislaus hospital count up again. Deaths reach 955

Stanislaus County announced Thursday that two more residents have died from COVID-19 and that 75 more people have tested positive.

A total of 955 people have died since last spring, the Health Services Agency said.

Cases stand at 50,802. The county also has 459,342 negative test results and 49,024 people who are presumed recovered.

The county’s five hospitals had 92 patients with confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, up from 83 on Wednesday. The count has fluctuated over a narrow range this week but is far better than the 300-plus in early January. There were nine staffed intensive care unit beds available for adults on Thursday, down from 17 on Wednesday.

State data regarding single-, seven- and 14-day positivity rates were not available on Thursday.

According to the Los Angeles Times COVID-19 tracker, Stanislaus County has the seventh highest rate of infection per 100,000 residents in the last week among the state’s 58 counties. Its rate of death also is 29st highest. Since the pandemic’s start, its infection rate remains 15th highest and the death rate fourth highest among all California counties.

Stanislaus remains in the purple tier, meaning the virus is “widespread,” following the state’s reassessment of conditions Tuesday. It seeks to reach red, orange and finally yellow, with few limits on business and gatherings.

As of Thursday, 91,800 doses of the coronavirus vaccine have been allocated to Stanislaus County. This includes 43,335 doses to health care providers and 48,465 to public health.

The public clinic schedule for the remainder of this week:

  • Friday, Oakdale: First dose only, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Gladys L. Lemmons Senior Community Center, 450 East A St.
  • Friday, Patterson: First and second doses, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Hammon Senior Center, 1033 West Las Palmas Ave.
  • Saturday, Turlock: First dose only, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Geer Road entrance to Stanislaus State University

More information is on the county dashboard at http://schsa.org/coronavirus/vaccine/.

California has administered 9,860,209 vaccines as of Thursday, up from 9,731,169 on Wednesday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracker. The state ranks 28th in the country, having administered 24,955 doses per 100,000 residents. Alaska ranks first, Georgia 50th among the states.

It’s important to note that if you’ve had part or full vaccination, wearing a mask and keeping with all the safety precautions like social distancing is still recommended by the Centers for Disease for Control and Prevention. Also, those who have had COVID-19 still need to be vaccinated.

Here are the demographic breakdowns of the positive tests in Stanislaus County as of Thursday:

  • 53.6% are female
  • 46.4% male
  • 8.3% are 14 years or younger
  • 16.4% are ages 15 to 24
  • 19.3% are 25 to 34
  • 17.2% are 35 to 44
  • 14.9% are 45 to 54
  • 12% are 55 to 64
  • 6.6% are 65 to 74
  • 3.4% are 75 to 84
  • 1.9% 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 18,755 positive cases
  • Turlock has 6,890
  • Ceres has 5,212
  • Patterson has 2,447
  • Riverbank has 2,362
  • Oakdale has 1,654
  • Newman has 1,142
  • Waterford has 614
  • Hughson has 559
  • Supervisorial District 3 has 2,635
  • District 5 has 2,419
  • District 2 has 2,123
  • District 1 has 1,188
  • District 4 has 388

Here’s a look at the numbers from nearby counties through Thursday:

As of Friday morning, there were 3,587,567 confirmed cases in California and 53,466 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. There were 28,827,140 U.S. cases and 520,356 deaths.

Stanislaus officials agree with state’s COVID vaccine plan

Stanislaus County officials agreed with a new state emphasis to allocate COVID vaccines to underserved communities. It fits well with the county’s vaccine plan.

On COVID, Stanislaus County `now in the business of hope’

We can’t let our guard down yet, but Stanislaus residents see light at end of COVID-19 tunnel. Vaccines — and better access to them — are a main reason.

Vaccine Q&A from the Bee’s Dr. Mink

It seems like there is always good news and bad news when it comes to the allocation and distribution of the coronavirus vaccines, and much of what comes out can be confusing. So here are some answers to common questions people are asking.

Stanislaus relaxes restrictions on COVID vaccines

Adults of any age who work in education, food and agriculture and other sectors in the Phase 1B priority group are now eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations in Stanislaus County.

South Modesto pharmacy welcomes new vaccine

Johnson & Johnson began shipping its COVID-19 vaccines on Monday, joining Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in getting out to communities. Its arrival is good news to Stanislaus County vaccine providers, including Familia Farmacia.

Foster Farms gets shots to 1,000 workers

About 1,000 workers received COVID-19 vaccines Tuesday at the Foster Farms chicken plant in Livingston, the heart of the poultry giant’s business.

Stanislaus remains in most restrictive tier

Stanislaus County did not meet the data requirements Tuesday for qualifying for the red tier of the state’s coronavirus reopening plan.

Schools welcome Newsom move on reopening

California schools will be pressured to reopen this spring under a deal Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders announced Monday morning.

Biz Beat has latest on new restaurants

Spring is always a sign of rebirth, in nature and hopefully for valley restaurants in business, too. As the valley weather warms up and vaccinations offer a light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, the region should also see several new eateries springing up starting in April.

Home prices rise in face of pandemic

Median home prices in Stanislaus County have increased over 10% in the past year, despite effects on the market from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Modesto-area landlords can get $36M in federal funding

Modesto-area landlords whose tenants are behind in the rent due to a pandemic-related economic hardship can get help through $36M in federal stimulus money.

How to get help for your small business

As business struggle to stay afloat, local groups like the Valley Sierra Small Business Development Center and Stanislaus County Workforce Development are helping guide small business owners through the variety of federal and state programs available at no cost.

From around the state, nation and world

New state health guidelines announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday recommend that Californians wear two cloth masks or one filtered mask when going out in public to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert, slammed Texas and Mississippi for loosening COVID-19 restrictions, including mask mandates.

John Holland
The Modesto Bee
John Holland covers agriculture, transportation and general assignment news. He has been with The Modesto Bee since 2000 and previously worked at newspapers in Sonora and Visalia. He was born and raised in San Francisco and has a journalism degree from UC Berkeley.
Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER