April 26, 2024

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Stanislaus deaths to COVID-19 reach 245. Infection rate down

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Latest facts on COVID-19 testing in Modesto area

Stanislaus County announced five more deaths to the virus Thursday, and a sharp drop from the outsized infection rate Wednesday.

The county has now lost 245 residents to the pandemic, according to the daily update from its Health Services Agency. Details were not available on the ages, genders or underlying conditions for the most recent people who died.

Stanislaus added 215 positive cases Thursday, bringing the total to 14,101. Another 70,484 people have tested negative, and 12,989 are presumed recovered.

Thursday’s positive rate was 21.1%, more in line with long-term trends than the 65.8% spike reported Wednesday.

The rolling seven-day average was at 18.6% on Thursday, versus 18.3% the day before. The 14-day average rose to 22.6% from 19.7%.

The overall infection rate since March was 16.7%, up from 16.6% on Wednesday.

To apply for a waiver to reopen school campuses for kindergartners to sixth grade, the California Department of Public Health wants the 14-day case rate per 100,000 residents at or below 200 based on the “episode date,” or the “earliest date that the (patient) can be known to have had the infection. “ Stanislaus County was at 235.8, versus 214.8 on Wednesday.

The per capita rate based on reported date in the last 14 days is 439, up from 417.

There are other factors that need to be met before reopening, and it includes being off the state watch list for 14 days. Stanislaus County is on that watch list.

Hospitalizations fell to another August-low of 136 confirmed cases in the five county hospitals. That number does not include those who are in the Central Valley Specialty Hospital, which began being used in the last month to take the burden off the major facilities.

There were eight available adult intensive care unit beds available.

Of those who tested positive as of Thursday, 54% are female and 46% male. Seven percent are 14 or younger, 17% are 15 to 24, 21% are 25 to 34, 18% are 35 to 44, 15% are 45 to 54, 11% are 55 to 64, 6% are 65 to 74, 3% are 75 to 84, and 2% are 85 or older.

Though they make up 47 percent of the population, Latinos represented 61 percent of the positive cases.

Modesto has 5,084 positive cases, 1,801 are in Turlock, 1,716 are in Ceres, 682 are in Riverbank, 668 are in Patterson, 272 are in Oakdale, 269 are in Newman, 199 are in Waterford, and 121 are in Hughson. Of the cases in unincorporated areas, 849 are in supervisorial District 5, 796 are in District 3, which includes Salida, 620 are in District 2, 281 are in District 1, and 91 are in District 4.

In other nearby counties:

As of Friday morning, there were 693,072 confirmed cases in California and 12,697 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. There were 5,869.692 U.S. cases and 180,857 deaths.

Here is the state tracker.

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In-person learning could happen for some

Under guidance from the California Department of Public Health issued this week, school districts in Stanislaus County are working toward providing in-person instruction and other services to small groups of children including at-risk students, those with disabilities and other special needs, and English language learners.

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County won’t defy state over schools

Stanislaus County supervisors narrowly voted down a motion to defy a state order that keeps schools closed as the county remains a hot spot for COVID-19 illness.

Here’s what will be required of Stanislaus County schools

The county’s rate dropped from 272 per 100,000 population to 244.5 per 100,000, as of Monday. The California Department of Public Health says the waivers to reopen elementary schools can be considered when the infection rate is 200 per 100,000 or lower.

COVID-19 claims longtime teacher, brothers, Turlock school district reports

A beloved longtime teacher at a Turlock CA elementary school died Saturday, reportedly from COVID-19 complications. Relatives, friends, colleagues, former students and their families are mourning Lilly Barron.

Pandemic puts neglected kids at risk

I am a teacher. I am an essential worker. I want to return to the classroom, with my students, so I can be the voice for the voiceless.

An inside look at a Modesto intensive care unit

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From around the state, nation and world

Coming soon: a battery-powered air purifying face mask. LG announced Thursday it will be introducing its PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier at a trade show next week in Berlin.

We know dogs and cats are susceptible to coronavirus infection, and scientists suspect the disease originated in bats, according to Yahoo! Life. But a new study found other animals are even more at risk for COVID-19 infection, especially mammals.

They aren’t new, in fact they were updated in July, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s coronavirus guidelines on working in health care facilities has one Illinois nursing home under investigation, FOX8 reported.

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John Holland covers breaking news and has been with The Modesto Bee since 2000. He has covered agriculture for the Bee and at newspapers in Sonora and Visalia. He was born and raised in San Francisco and has a journalism degree from UC Berkeley.