Latest facts on COVID-19 testing in Modesto area
A third of the way through October, Stanislaus County’s infection rate is in decline when compared with the previous four months.
Through Sunday, this month’s positivity rate was 8.58%. Not since June has the infection rate been in single digits and was less than half seen in July (19.08%) and August (20.68%).
The county Health Services Agency reported 36 new cases of coronavirus, bringing to 17,038 the number of countywide positive cases since March.
The 234 reported cases over the past four days is the highest total for four consecutive days since mid-September, although Sunday’s total was the lowest in five days.
Spikes in numbers could have impact on the county’s ability to move into or, once there, maintain a place in the red tier in the state’s four-stage reopening plan.
The state Tuesday will release its new findings, which could allow Stanislaus County businesses, including restaurants, to loosen its restrictions if red tier standards are met for a second straight week.
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Sunday’s infection rate was 7.35% based on 490 tests, down from 9.72% the previous day. The rolling 14-day positivity rate was 8.05%, above the 7.01% rate from the previous 14 days.
The one announced death was the 27th straight day the county has announced at least one fatality. The county has reported 385 death since its first in April.
There have been 93,744 negative tests and 16,393 who are presumed recovered.
According to the county, presumed recovered cases are those who have been hospitalized and discharged; or cases that develop symptoms and 14 days have passed following symptom onset; or cases that never developed symptoms and 14 days have passed following specimen collection of their COVID-10 positive test. All other cases that are not presumed recovered are presumed active.
The county’s five hospitals had 41 confirmed COVID-19 cases Sunday, up from 29 on Saturday. The number of available intensive-care beds is at 19, up from 14 on Saturday.
Of those who tested positive:
- 54% are female
- 46% male
- 7% are 14 years or younger
- 16% are ages 15 to 24
- 21% 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 6,461 positive cases
- Turlock has 2,322
- Ceres has 2,160
- Riverbank has 863
- Patterson has 857
- Oakdale has 398
- Newman has 348
- Waterford has 265
- Hughson has 169
- Supervisorial District 5 has 1,101
- District 3 has 977
- District 2 has 760
- District 1 has 374
- District 4 has 124
In other nearby counties:
None of those counties updated their sites on Sunday. The Stanislaus County demographic and geographic data also was not updated.
As of Monday morning, there were 855,454 confirmed cases in California and 16,582 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. There were 7,763,467 U.S. cases and 214,776 deaths.
There has been some movement on the reopening of schools in previous weeks, with some having applied for waivers through the Stanislaus County Office of Education. Here also is the state list, which includes Stanislaus private schools seeking waiver approvals.
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County could move to COVID-19 red tier this week
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Update on elementary schools
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Kids’ pumpkin stand aids first responders
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COVID-19 financial woes hit national chains
Some well known brands in Modesto are in trouble as the coronavirus pandemic wears on.
Experts offer ideas for post-pandemic local economy
To succeed in a post-pandemic world, Stanislaus County needs to focus on the quality of life it can offer to current and prospective residents as movement out of more expensive regions accelerates, local experts said last week.
Mayor wants Modesto to stop enforcing COVID rules
Modesto Mayor Ted Brandvold wants the city to stop enforcing the COVID-19 rules so more of the economy and everyday life can return to normal.
From around the state, nation and world
When a man tried to order food holding his shirt over his mouth Thursday, employees at Don Pancho’s Taco Shop told him that wasn’t going to work, a video shows.
An evangelical college in Redding has told its entire student body of more than 1,600 people to quarantine after 137coronavirus cases were reported at the school.
President Donald Trump’s tweet about being immune to COVID-19 was flagged by Twitter for violating its rules on misleading or harmful coronavirus information.
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.