Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
27 New COVID-19 Deaths in Fresno County, Officials Warn Against Labor Day Gatherings
TLBBHMAP3-U010ALB5ANM-348f959abae2-512-300x300-1
By Jim Jakobs, Digital Producer
Published 5 years ago on
September 2, 2020

Share

Fresno County reported 27 new deaths related to COVID-19 since Friday. Dr. Rais Vohra, Interim Fresno County Health Officer says it’s a sobering reality of where we are in the pandemic.

Vohra says many of these recent deaths are people that have been hospitalized for several weeks. Others had underlying health conditions and were only hospitalized a short time before succumbing to the disease.

“The number of new deaths we’re seeing now are the tragic result of the surge that started back in July,” Vohra told reporters during a Zoom call Tuesday evening.
The good news, at least for now, is that it appears the county will not have to open an alternative care site at the Fresno Convention Center as hospitalizations are in a downward trend. There are 184 COVID hospitalizations. That’s down six since Friday.
Here are the latest numbers released by the county Tuesday afternoon (numbers in brackets are the change since Friday):
  • Total Cases: 25,185 (+222)
  • Total Deaths: 290 (+27)
  • Currently Hospitalized: 184 (-6)
  • Recovered: 12,572 (+666)
  • Test Results Received and Processed: 208,658 (+12,684)

Labor Day Weekend Warning

Official portrait of Buddy Mendes

“Social gatherings continue to be among the leading sources of exposure and spread of COVID-19 so it is important to avoid these high-risk activities so we can continue moving in the right direction.” – Buddy Mendes, chairman of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors

The Labor Day holiday weekend is this weekend and officials are hoping to avoid a repeat of what happened Memorial Day weekend when large crowds gathered.  The county reminds residents to celebrate safely while staying apart and avoiding gatherings.

“Fresno County can’t move forward in our recovery unless we all work together to help slow the spread of the virus,” says Buddy Mendes, chairman of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors in a press release. “Social gatherings continue to be among the leading sources of exposure and spread of COVID-19 so it is important to avoid these high-risk activities so we can continue moving in the right direction.”

Fresno County will continue to operate parks at 50% capacity, offer masks, and provide health screenings to those entering throughout the weekend. Once 50% capacity is met, each park will be closed to additional traffic until vehicles leave the park and re-entry will not be allowed.

“High temperatures and holidays lead to large crowds looking to cool off, which is expected and understandable,” says Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims. “We want everyone to have fun and enjoy their time, but under these circumstances we each have the added responsibility to help keep others healthy through social distancing and the wearing of masks.”

UCSF-Fresno Launches Mobile Testing Next Week

The city of Fresno approved a grant agreement with UCSF-Fresno back in June to offer mobile testing throughout the city. The City approved $5 million from the City’s Coronavirus Relief Fund to support the project.

This Monday, the first mobile testing event will take place at Fresno City College from 8 a.m. to noon, acccording to UCSF-Fresno’s website.

Mobile COVID-19 Notifications on Your Phone

Apple has announced that it will release iOS 13.7 to the public today, including a major expansion of the COVID-19 Exposure Notification platform.

Apple and Google have unveiled a new Exposure Notifications Express system that allows public health authorities to support COVID-19 contact tracing without developing and maintaining their own application.

Public health authorities will have to opt-in to the system.

Public health authorities still have full control over the system, though, despite not needing to develop their own application. This includes controlling how the notifications are triggered, what next steps are to advise, and guidance for exposed individuals.

For users, Apple says you can now enable COVID-19 Exposure Notifications directly in the Settings app on your iPhone.

New State Data Reporting System for COVID-19

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and California Department of Technology (CDT) today announced that OptumInsight, Inc. has been selected to develop the state’s new COVID-19 data reporting system. The system will collect, track, and report COVID-19 cases, supplementing California’s current disease registry system known as CalREDIE.

A technical problem with the CalREDIE system in early August hampered public health officials’ ability to follow up with those who test positive and contact people who have been around them to limit the spread.

California’s public health director Dr. Sonia Angell suddenly resigned after the reporting issues surfaced. “Decisions were made, and we’re moving forward,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said of her departure at the time.

As far as the new reporting system is concerned, CDPH has signed a renewable, six-month, $15.3 million contract with the company to develop the data tool using funding from the federal Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Prevention and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases (ELC) grant.

The first phase of the new system will be up and running in October.

(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)

 

DON'T MISS

Braves’ Jurickson Profar Hit With 80-Game PED Ban

DON'T MISS

Watch: City Demolishes Historic Chinatown Building to Make Way for Housing

DON'T MISS

The Mystery of Melania Trump’s Wedding Dress and an eBay Sale

DON'T MISS

Heading to Sierra? Prepare for Heavy Snow

DON'T MISS

Mexican National Caught in Fresno County Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking

DON'T MISS

CA Snowpack Is Near-Average. What Does This Mean for Water Supplies?

DON'T MISS

Shohei Ohtani Adds Another No. 1 to His Resume: MLB’s Best-Selling Jersey

DON'T MISS

Tush Push Is the Hottest Topic at the NFL League Meetings

DON'T MISS

U.S. Bank Executive Terry Dolan Dies in Plane Crash Near Minneapolis

DON'T MISS

Trump Administration Will Review Billions in Funding for Harvard

UP NEXT

Heading to Sierra? Prepare for Heavy Snow

UP NEXT

Mexican National Caught in Fresno County Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking

UP NEXT

CA Snowpack Is Near-Average. What Does This Mean for Water Supplies?

UP NEXT

U.S. Bank Executive Terry Dolan Dies in Plane Crash Near Minneapolis

UP NEXT

Former MLB Pitcher CJ Wilson of Fresno on New Torpedo Bats: ‘Still Room for Innovation’

UP NEXT

Who Is Fresno’s ‘Fake’ ICE Agent? He Speaks Up

UP NEXT

California Gov. Newsom Says the Democratic Brand Is ‘Toxic’

UP NEXT

Silver Fire Grows to 1,250 Acres, Threatens Homes in Inyo County

UP NEXT

A Stroke Survivor Speaks Again With the Help of an Experimental Brain-Computer Implant

UP NEXT

Fresno Police Arrest 12 for DUI, Plan More Enforcement Operations

Heading to Sierra? Prepare for Heavy Snow

4 hours ago

Mexican National Caught in Fresno County Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking

4 hours ago

CA Snowpack Is Near-Average. What Does This Mean for Water Supplies?

4 hours ago

Shohei Ohtani Adds Another No. 1 to His Resume: MLB’s Best-Selling Jersey

5 hours ago

Tush Push Is the Hottest Topic at the NFL League Meetings

5 hours ago

U.S. Bank Executive Terry Dolan Dies in Plane Crash Near Minneapolis

5 hours ago

Trump Administration Will Review Billions in Funding for Harvard

6 hours ago

Former MLB Pitcher CJ Wilson of Fresno on New Torpedo Bats: ‘Still Room for Innovation’

6 hours ago

Man Arrested After Shooting at Fresno’s Switch Nightclub

6 hours ago

Who Is Fresno’s ‘Fake’ ICE Agent? He Speaks Up

7 hours ago

Braves’ Jurickson Profar Hit With 80-Game PED Ban

NEW YORK — Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar has been suspended for 80 games without pay for performance-enhancing drug use. Major ...

2 hours ago

Jurickson Profar
2 hours ago

Braves’ Jurickson Profar Hit With 80-Game PED Ban

3 hours ago

Watch: City Demolishes Historic Chinatown Building to Make Way for Housing

Photo of First Lady Melania Trump
3 hours ago

The Mystery of Melania Trump’s Wedding Dress and an eBay Sale

4 hours ago

Heading to Sierra? Prepare for Heavy Snow

Miguel Obed Romero Reyes, 25, of Sinaloa, Mexico, pleaded guilty Monday, March 31, 2025, to trafficking more than 200,000 fentanyl pills after authorities seized the drugs during a traffic stop on Interstate 5. (DOJ)
4 hours ago

Mexican National Caught in Fresno County Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking

4 hours ago

CA Snowpack Is Near-Average. What Does This Mean for Water Supplies?

5 hours ago

Shohei Ohtani Adds Another No. 1 to His Resume: MLB’s Best-Selling Jersey

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) lines up for the goal line Tush Push play during the NFL championship playoff football game against the Washington Commanders, Jan. 26, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP File)
5 hours ago

Tush Push Is the Hottest Topic at the NFL League Meetings

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend