Virus cases on the rise despite safety guidelines

Shafter has seen its confirmed cases of covid-19 increase despite a mask-covering campaign and safety guidelines in place.

Last week there were 133 confirmed cases in the city, bringing the total confirmed cases in Shafter to 1,832. City officials say that the most important thing is the health and safety of its citizens and they are encouraging everyone to do their part in keeping all of its residents safe. This means adhering to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stay-at-home order, which instructs all Californians to stay home as much as possible and to not mix between households, which may lead to the spread of the virus.

The city has announced that its online utility payment service is still not available due to the ransomware incident that the city suffered a few weeks ago. Erring on the side of caution, the vendor of the software used by the city has not released access to the systems to receive payments.

City officials said that at this time, no date has been set for access to the system to be restored. They also said that using a drop box, paying in person, and paying by mail are still options for payment, but they did announce that no late penalties will be assessed to customers while online payments are not an option. Once the city has a date for restoration, they will notify the public with the information.

In this tier of covid-19 restrictions, the following guidelines are in place:

Schools will remain open for distance learning, while the conditioning and workout sessions for all sports have been suspended until further notice. Childcare businesses and non-urgent medical dental care facilities are also open.

Those activities that are not allowed at this time are large gatherings, parades, drive-thru events and Christmas events. Movie theaters, hair salons, museums, zoos and gyms are temporarily closed. City officials are encouraging residents to keep active by going for a walk or run, walking their dog, working out at home or going for a bike ride.