35 deaths, 4 deaths at Sierra View

Schools may open in July

The number of positive COVID-19 cases in Tulare County spiked to 578 on Tuesday, the Tulare County Department of Health and Human Services reported.

The department also reported three more deaths due to the coronavirus, bringing the total to 35 who have died due to COVID-19 in Tulare County. No other information was provided on the three deaths that were reported on Tuesday.

Sierra View Medical Center also reported another death on Tuesday, bringing the total of deaths due to COVID-19 at Sierra View to four.

It was also reported there have been 24 deaths at Visalia’s Redwood Springs nursing home. Lindsay Gardens nursing home also reported its first death on Tuesday.

The number of cases spiked by 46 from Tuesday when there were 532 cases reported in the county. That’s the largest increase in about two weeks since when the number of cases increased by 56 from 296 to 352.

The department also reported a spike in the number of cases in the Lindsayexeter area. There are now 105 cases in the Lindsay-exeter area, an increase of 24 over the 81 cases that was reported on Monday.

There are 29 cases in Porterville and two cases in Springville. There are 298 cases in Visalia, 70 cases in Tulare, 67 cases in the Dinuba-kingsburg-woodlake area and five cases in Pixley.

As of Tuesday it was reported there were 68 positive cases of COVID-19 at the Lindsay Gardens, more than 180 positive cases at Redwood Springs nursing home and another outbreak of 10 cases was reported at Visalia’s

wood Meadows nursing home. No other data on the nursing homes was reported on Tuesday.

The department reported 95 people who tested positive for COVID-19 in Tulare County have recovered. There are 614 people in Tulare County who are under self-quarantine who are being monitored by public health officials.

The department reported 27 of the cases as travelers, 358 were due to person-to-person contact and 193 are still under investigation.

Thirty-four were ages 0-17, 59 were ages 18-25, 124 were ages 26-40, 168 were ages 41-64 and 193 were ages 65 and older.

As of Monday the doubling time in Tulare County had actually increased when the county had 532 cases. But that doubling time is likely to come back down with the county having an increase of 46 cases on Tuesday.

The longer the doubling time — the amount of days it takes for cases to double — means a flattening curve in which there are fewer cases over a longer period of time. The doubling time in Tulare County went up to 22.4 days from 16.7 days on Monday. The county has about 1.1 cases per 1,000.

The number of cases and doubling time in Kern County stabilized somewhat. As of Monday, Kern County had 837 cases and a doubling time of 17 days.

Fresno County’s cases had also stabilized as of Monday with 498 cases and a doubling time of 14.8 days.

As of Monday, California had 45,154 cases and 1,800 deaths due to COVID-19. California’s doubling time as of Monday was 16.6 days.

The fastest doubling time remained in Kings County at five days. But the number of cases in Kings County increased by just four from Sunday to Monday from 67 to 71.

As of Tuesday, Sierra View reported it still has 21 positive cases of COVID-19. The hospital reported it has had 210 tests conducted, with 181 testing negative. Sierra View also reported it has seven inpatient COVID-19 cases.

Tulare County has reported it has conducted 2,267 tests for the coronavirus.

Schools May Open in July

Governor Gavin Newsom said students could return to their classrooms in July but with adjustments. He added no official decision has been made.

But it could be the 20202021 school year could begin in July to try to make up for learning losses that have happened.

Newsom offered few details but among the alternatives that have been discussed is staggering start times and having one group of students attend in the mornings and another group attend in the afternoons. Groups of students attending on different days is another alternative.

Newsom outlined a fourphase plan to gradually reopen the state on Tuesday. But hospitalization rates must first stabilize.

First the first phase in which retailers and manufacturers could begin to operate in a matter of weeks. But places such as nail salons would still have to wait before opening.

And it’s still not likely events such as concerts and sporting events will happen as soon as this summer, so all the events the City of Porterville has planned for this summer are still very much in doubt.

It’s also not clear when people when be able to dine in at restaurants again and even when that happens it will also be done on a gradual basis.