More than two dozen California counties have asked for permission to loosen their stay-at-home orders beyond what the state allows. But Fresno County is not one of them — yet. That changes today. County health officials have a call scheduled with state authorities in an attempt to change some of...
Fresno County Needs Contact Tracers, Isn’t Waiting for Newsom
Call, text, email, and repeat. Call, text, email, and repeat again. The job of a COVID-19 contact tracer, or what Gov. Newsom calls a "disease detective," isn't glamorous. But the job is so important that Fresno County must come up with 250 or more contact tracers to reopen the economy...
Where Are Fresno COVID Antibody Tests? Health Officer: 'I Emailed the State.'
"We're not doing any antibody testing right now," answered interim Fresno County Health Officer Dr. Rais Vohra in response to a question Monday during a teleconference. "That's something that we're still waiting to start." His answer came on the heels of a large study by USC and the Los Angeles Department...
Health Officer: 'I Think We Will Be on Track' for Fresno Reopening May 7
The city of Fresno's shelter-in-place order goes until the first Wednesday in May. Mayor Lee Brand extended the shelter-in-place order to May 6 based on modeling that indicated COVID-19 cases will peak in late April. Fresno County's Health Officer, in response to a question Friday from GV Wire said: "I...
Here’s Your First Look at Fresno’s Surge Field Hospital
Local leaders invited Fresno-area media on Thursday to check out the field hospital that will provide extra healthcare capacity if the expected surge in coronavirus patients materializes in the region. The hospital, which can accommodate up to 265 beds, is inside the Exhibit Hall at the Fresno Convention Center. Dr....
'It's Scary,' Says FCC Nursing Student on Entering COVID-19 Workforce
To graduate, or not. That was the question facing prospective California nursing students until state regulators took action late Friday. But another track is emerging in the medical profession: Those who have job prospects even as other medical professionals are now hurting for work. GV Wire spoke with a Fresno City College...
Fresno County Has 100 to 150 Ventilators. Is That Enough After Third Death?
Fresno County's equipment needs to combat the coronavirus hinge on how well residents help flatten the curve, a county public health official says. In addition, local hospitals are thinking hard about how they can expand capacity within their own facilities, said Dr. Rais Vohra, interim Fresno County health officer. In some...