Over 450 new cases in Tulare County
TULAREWORKS office closes in Dinuba
Tulare County saw an increase of 483 cases on Wednesday, bringing the total number of total positive COVID-19 cases in Tulare County to 7,603. Out of the 7,603 positive confirmed cases, only 3,279 of those are active COVID-19 cases.
The number of deaths due to COVID-19 remained the same at 168 on Wednesday. The state model projects Tulare County to have 298 deaths by August 20.
The number of people in Tulare County who have recovered after testing positive for COVID-19 increased by 335 bring the total number of recoveries in the county to 4,156.
There have been 68 cases reported as travel-related, 2,408 cases due to person-to-person contact and 5,127 cases are under investigation. 381 individuals are under self-quarantine and are being monitored by Tulare County Public Health officials.
There have been 929 cases ages 0-17, 1,203 cases ages 18-25, 2,107 cases ages 26-40, 2,384 cases ages 41-64 and 977 cases ages 65 and older.
There have been 3,615 cases who have been Hispanic, 741 have been Caucasian, 106 have been Asian, 33 have been African-american, 11 have been Native American, 82 have been multi-race and 3,015 are unknown.
According to Wednesday’s report from the county, Porterville currently has 1,130 positively identified COVID-19 cases. Lindsay was reported to have 324 cases, Tulare currently has 1,127 cases, and Visalia’s three regions have 2,214 cases. Other cities that have been hit hard by COVID-19 include Dinuba with 894 cases, Earlimart with 339 cases, Orosi with 317 cases, Farmersville with 194 cases, Pixley with 162 cases and Exeter with 145 cases. Strathmore was reported to have 82 cases, Woodlake has 75 cases, Terra Bella has 64 cases, Traver has 41 cases, Richgrove has 39 cases, Tipton
32 cases, Goshen has 25 cases and the Mountain area has 17 cases.
The county’s report on Wednesday indicated that there are 531 staff members and residents in skilled nursing facilities who have tested positive for COVID-19, and that there is current 87 individuals being hospitalized for the virus.
DINUBA TULAREWORKS OFFICE CLOSES DUE TO COVID-19
Employees at the TULAREWORKS and and Child Welfare Services District Office, located at 1066 North Alta Avenue in Dinuba, have tested positive for the coronavirus. The county released the following statement about the office closure.
“The Human Services Branch of the Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency (HHSA) confirms that one public employee at the Dinuba Tulareworks and Child Welfare Services District Office, located at 1066 North Alta Avenue in Dinuba, has tested positive for the coronavirus. The employee began to show symptoms and notified a supervisor.
“The County has instructed all employees during this time that they should not come to work if they show any symptoms of illness. The Agency has closed the location for cleaning and is notifying all members of its workforce with whom the infected employee may have had potential contact. The Agency had begun to limit the number of employees working at each of its sites in March, which has limited exposure to other County employees. Additionally, public access to this office has remained closed since March 23, 2020.
“This is the third time the Dinuba District Office location has closed due to COVID-19. On June 18, the location fully closed because an employee tested positive. The office was thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, allowing employees to return to work on July 6, 2020, following proper protocols.
“It is not unexpected that employees may become ill as COVID-19 continues spreading throughout the community. The HHSA has protocols in place to address this and similar situations involving employees who become ill. These protocols include: asking employees to stay home if they show any symptoms, reporting any symptoms that develop during working hours, asking non-essential employees to work from home, maintaining sufficient social distancing in the workplace, and consistently using excellent hygiene and cleaning practices.
“With the Dinuba District Office expected to be temporarily closed, those needing services through Tulareworks can contact the call center at 1-800-540-6880. Anyone needing services through Child Welfare Services can call (559) 623-0500.
“The Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency is diligent about the protection of patient privacy, in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and for this reason we cannot release any other information about the affected employee. The information released about the positive COVID-19 cases in Tulare County is carefully curated to provide useful information to our community members, while also excluding information that would lead to the identification of affected persons. This is a protection, provided by law, that is extended to everyone.
“To reduce and stop the spread of COVID-19 in Tulare County, local public health officials strongly urge everyone to practice both social and physical distancing of six feet or more between persons. Residents should always wear a face mask or covering while in environments where physical distancing is not possible and while in public settings. More importantly, officials urge residents to not participate in social gatherings of any kind, as a large number of the COVID-19 cases in Tulare County stem from contact exposure through gatherings that occurred beyond a single household.
“In addition, everyone is encouraged to frequently wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer, regularly disinfect high-touch surfaces, and stay home if you are sick or instructed to isolate/ quarantine by a medical or public health professional.
“For more information about COVID-19, visit www.tchhsa.org/ncov and www.covid19.tularecounty.ca.gov”