Stanislaus releases coronavirus case numbers by city, hospital data and new order.
A new update Tuesday showed 39 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Stanislaus County.
Of those, 18 people have been hospitalized for the respiratory illness that has caused millions of California residents to confine themselves at home, a county spokesman said.
The county Health Services Agency released more detailed information on the county’s COVID-19 caseload, in addition to an order from Public Health Officer Julie Vaishampayan that reinforces Gov. Gavin Newsom’s sweeping stay-at-home order issued two weeks ago to slow the spread of coronavirus.
Vaishampayan’s order, effective Thursday, instructs people to self-isolate at home and stay 6 feet away from others when leaving home to buy food or go to the pharmacy. Essential business operations are exempt. The order reinforces efforts to close table service at restaurants and close bars, salons, gyms and other businesses that involved close contact with customers.
Enforcing in Stanislaus County
Vaishampayan is asking the sheriff and city police chiefs to enforce the order. Enforcement through education is preferred, the order says, but “other means of enforcement may be employed as deemed appropriate by the law enforcement agency.”
Violation of a public health order is typically considered a misdemeanor with penalties including a fine or possible jail sentence.
Vaishampayan will participate in a live forum at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Stanemergency Facebook page. Vaishampayan is working on projections for an expected surge of hospital patients stricken by coronavirus and when it might occur.
The county’s emergency operation center provided no other details on the 18 patients hospitalized since the county reported its first two cases of coronavirus March 11. No one has died.
County public health officials will start releasing hospitalization numbers, as well as city of residence details with daily reports on the spread of COVID-19 illness in the 1,500 square-mile county, Spokesman Royjindar Singh said.
Modesto has 15 COVID-19 cases
According to info released Tuesday, Modesto has the most cases with 15, followed by the county unincorporated area with 10. Five people tested positive in Ceres, two in Riverbank and one in Turlock. The other six cases are spread among Oakdale, Patterson and Waterford.
Because of patient confidentiality rules, officials are not releasing the case numbers in cities with less than 25,000 residents if it’s less than five, Singh said.
Hughson and Newman have no confirmed cases on paper. But health experts warn against those city residents having a false sense of security.
Of the 39 cases, the data shows 21 were female and 18 male. The largest number (15) were in the 50 to 64 age group; 14 were age 19 to 49; and eight were 65 or older. The cases included two children.
This story was originally published March 31, 2020 at 7:54 PM.
