Yesterday, July 27, Governor Newsom announced actions to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the Central Valley, including $52 million in funding for testing, contact tracing, and isolation and quarantine efforts. Eight counties will receive the funding: Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Kern.

Additionally, three Unified Support Teams will be deployed to these counties, which are experiencing increased cases and hospitalizations, to boost local efforts to reduce transmission rates. These strike teams will investigate outbreaks in factories, long-term care facilities, high-density housing developments and agricultural workplaces.

According to Newsom, these teams will be supportive of employers, rather than punitive. The state has already seen success with this strategy in the Imperial Valley.