WASHINGTON — With exceptional resolve in an extraordinary time, the House on Friday debated a $2.2 trillion package tossing a life preserver to a U.S. economy and health care system left flailing by the coronavirus pandemic, even as one maverick Republican threatened leaders' plans for swift passage. Democratic and Republican leaders were working...
Not All or Nothing: Anti-Virus Lockdowns Could Lift Slowly
WASHINGTON — For the millions of Americans living under some form of lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus, not knowing when the restrictions will end is a major source of anxiety. Will life events — weddings, funerals, even just simple nights out with friends — be delayed for...
Union Locates 39 Million N95 Masks for Healthcare Workers, Local Governments
[aggregation-styles] NBC Bay Area Service Employees International Union United Healthcare Workers West announced Thursday that it located 39 million N95 masks and will make them available to state and local governments and health care systems that are fighting the novel coronavirus outbreak. The union found a distributor with the masks,...
Fresno Is Sicker and Has a Doctor Shortage. So Coronavirus Poses a Huge Threat, Experts Warn.
The central San Joaquin Valley for years has struggled to attract medical doctors, with physician-to-resident ratios well below what medical experts say is needed for adequate healthcare. That was before the coronavirus pandemic. Now the rapid spread of COVID-19 may well expose the Fresno area to even greater risk if...
California Must Make Up Every Missed School Day
Not one day. Our kids should not lose one day of school, not a single day of instruction, to the coronavirus. Or to anything else. Let me be clear: I’m not arguing against closing schools in the midst of the pandemic. Flattening the curve of infections comes first. But the...
Trump: New Guidelines Will Rate Virus Risk by County
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday that federal officials are developing guidelines to rate counties by risk of virus spread, as he aims to begin to ease nationwide guidelines meant to stem the coronavirus outbreak. In a letter to the nation's governors, Trump said the new guidelines are meant to...
TV Viewership Climbing With People Stuck at Home by Virus
NEW YORK — A fixture on television, actress Julie Bowen of “Modern Family” is doing the same thing as millions of other people during the widespread coronavirus shutdown. She's sitting at home, watching more television than she normally would. In a world turned upside down by disease, TV viewership is...
Madera County Man Is Central San Joaquin Valley's 1st COVID-19 Death
A Madera County man in his 60s is the central San Joaquin Valley's first coronavirus death, according to the Madera County Public Health Department. Case No. 6 was listed as "deceased" on the health department's coronavirus page Thursday at 4 p.m. According to a chart of the county's cases, the...
Need Toilet Paper, Sanitizer? Then Join This Fresno Facebook Group.
Want to know which Fresno or Clovis stores have toilet paper or Clorox wipes right now, and which restaurants have curbside service? There's a Facebook group for that. Created on March 19 by Tammy Suntrapak and her sister-in-law, Mykel Newton Suntrapak, the Fresno COVID-19 Resource group was originally designed to...
Local Coalition Ensures Special-Needs Students Aren't Forgotten During Closures
Providing distance learning for most students is challenging, as teachers and parents are finding out while schools are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But the challenges are multiplied for special-needs students whose specialized instruction and therapies have been interrupted by the need for as many people as possible to...