Fresno County's top health official is very concerned about the latest COVID-19 numbers he's seeing. The county could be moved back into the state’s most restrictive “purple” tier for business operations as early as next week if the numbers don't improve. Places like movie theaters, houses of worship, and indoor...
California Sees No Link From School Openings to Virus Spread
SACRAMENTO — California has not seen a link between the reopening of K-12 schools for in-person learning and increased coronavirus transmission, the state's top public health official said Tuesday. Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state's Health and Human Services secretary, told reporters that officials have been closely watching the return to...
Local Businesses Face Closures Again Next Week if COVID Numbers Don’t Improve
Fresno County could be moved back into the state's most restrictive "purple" tier for business operations as early as next week if local COVID-19 numbers don't improve, officials said Tuesday. According to new state data, Fresno County now has a 5.3% test positivity rate (up from 4.8% last week), and...
US Medical Supply Chains Failed, and COVID Deaths Followed
Nurse Sandra Oldfield’s patient didn’t have the usual symptoms of COVID-19 -- yet. But then he tested positive for the virus, and it was clear that Oldfield -- a veteran, 53-year-old caregiver -- had been exposed. She was sent home by Kaiser Permanente officials with instructions to keep careful notes...
White House Staff, Secret Service Eye Virus With Fear, Anger
WASHINGTON — The West Wing is a ghost town. Staff members are scared of exposure. And the White House is now a treatment ward for not one — but two — COVID patients, including a president who has long taken the threat of the virus lightly. President Donald Trump's decision...
Democrats Press Ahead on Partisan COVID Bill as Talks Drag
WASHINGTON — With top Washington negotiators significantly apart on a huge COVID-19 relief bill, Democrats controlling the House are plunging ahead with a partisan debate on their next option — a $2.2 trillion measure that's anathema to the White House and Capitol Hill Republicans. Thursday's vote was chiefly sought by...
When COVID Put the Kibosh on Clovis, Fresno, Central Fundraisers, They Pivoted
October is the time of year when Fresno-area school districts or their foundations schedule big fundraiser breakfasts, lunches, and dinners at which superintendents deliver "State of the District" speeches. This year, COVID-19 made it inadvisable to squeeze hundreds of people together in the same venue. S0 educators and their supporters...
Poll: Fewer Than 3 in 10 California Voters View COVID-19 as a Serious Threat
In July, two-thirds of the state’s registered voters (67%) felt the coronavirus health threat was becoming more serious in their area. Now, fewer than three in ten (28%) feel that way, according to a new Berkeley Institute of Governmental studies poll. However the impact of the virus on the lives of Californians...
Businesses Vowed to Open October 1. Strip Club and Indoor Mini-Golf Center Still Plan To.
When Fresno County moved into the "red tier" of California's COVID-19 containment blueprint on Tuesday, it allowed many shuttered businesses to reopen. But not all. The loosening of restrictions comes on the heels of a rally last Thursday at Fresno City Hall, where a number of business owners gathered to...
Movie Theaters, Dining Rooms and Gyms Quickly Begin Reopening
Within hours of Fresno County being moved into California's 'red' tier for reopening, local businesses are wasting no time opening up. Movie theaters, shut down since the beginning of the pandemic can now open indoors with modifications at a maximum 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer. Regal Cinemas'...