Intensive care unit beds in local hospitals are over capacity, and help is officially here to assist those facilities experiencing the rush of patients desperately needing attention in their fight against COVID-19.

Delays in statewide coronavirus reporting have impacted Kern County’s testing rates and hindered efforts to control the spread of COVID-19, the county Public Health Services Department said in a news release Wednesday.

Coronavirus has begun to spread among detainees held at Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center in Bakersfield.

The Kern County Administrative Office hopes to use unspent money from the previous fiscal year to help soften the financial blow that departments hit hard by coronavirus can expect going into fiscal year 2020-21.

Kern County reported 106 new COVID-19 cases Monday morning, according to the public health service department's website.

Adam Black, a 17-year-old Centennial High senior, loves the stage. In his sophomore year, he was nominated for a PEAAK Award for his portrayal of the Cowardly Lion in "The Wizard of Oz" — a role his drama teacher, Alicia Hammons, said was a perfect fit for Black because he "is a total ham." 

Kern County officials are calling on those who have recovered from COVID-19 to donate plasma in a new effort aimed at saving lives of those hospitalized with the virus.

As coronavirus continues to spread in Kern County, a federal surge testing unit arrived in Bakersfield on Wednesday. In a press conference announcing the opening of the facility, U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, and others expressed hope that the federal site could help local officia…

Amtrak has suspended and altered several of the routes on its Thruway Bus Network that have been impacted from reduced ridership since the coronavirus pandemic began.

Eight Central Valley counties will receive $52 million from the state to fight a coronavirus surge disproportionately affecting California’s interior, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday.

As the local coronavirus outbreak stretches into its fifth month, healthcare providers are urging people not to skip routine visits to the doctor. Whether it's for a chronic condition— like diabetes or high blood pressure — or preventative care — such as childhood vaccines and annual mammogr…

From outside the sliding glass doors of an ICU room on the third floor of Bakersfield Memorial Hospital, nurse Jaclyn Moore peered in at a patient. 

In late April, when the coronavirus was just getting a foothold in Kern County and local hospitals were empty, two respiratory therapists who work for Adventist Health Bakersfield headed to New York City.

The Kern County Public Health Services Department announced 369 new COVID-19 cases Sunday morning. No new deaths were reported.

The Kern County Public Health Services Department announced 832 new COVID-19 cases Saturday morning, continuing the surge that has been seen in recent days. No new deaths were reported.

As hospitals reach capacity in their intensive care units, the Kern County Board of Supervisors will consider a plan during Tuesday’s meeting that could increase the number of patients who could be treated locally.

At 12:01 a.m. on Friday, Kern County businesses will likely be subjected to another round of business restrictions that are already underway in more than 30 other counties in California.

The Kern County Public Health Services Department reported 1,135 new COVID-19 cases Thursday morning.

An astounding 1,120 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Kern County Wednesday, a nearly tenfold increase over the number of daily cases reported in recent weeks.

In an effort to save lives and help critically ill COVID-19 patients in local hospitals, Houchin Community Blood Bank is seeking people who have had the virus to donate plasma.

Ten more people have died and more than 1,000 new cases of coronavirus in Kern County were reported Wednesday morning, as cases continue a rapid ascent locally. 

The Kern County Public Health Services Department announced 834 new positive COVID-19 cases Tuesday morning.

Hospitals in Bakersfield in recent days have asked local public health officials to initiate a process to find additional workers as spiking rates of COVID-19 strain staffing levels at some facilities and others are preparing for an anticipated surge to hit soon.

Nearly 800 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Kern County on Monday, continuing a dramatic spike in new case counts that began over the weekend.

Local landlords have begun feeling the pinch of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s eviction moratorium. Since March 4, the state has prevented landlords from evicting tenants in an effort to allow vulnerable populations to self-quarantine.

Remdesivir, a therapy for critically ill COVID-19 patients, is in short supply and as the number of patients hospitalized with the virus climbs in Kern County, doctors must make difficult choices about which patients receive it.

Ridgecrest Regional Hospital will be ending its drive-through coronavirus testing in a matter of days.

The Kern County Public Health Services Department reported 162 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday morning.

The beginning of this week has been a roller coaster ride for businesses wondering if they'll be allowed to remain open as coronavirus cases increase throughout the state.

Kern County will likely be required to dial back its reopening this weekend, earning a brief reprieve from expanded business restrictions that prohibit indoor activity at certain businesses in more than two dozen other counties.

One new death and 99 new cases of COVID-19 were reported on Kern County's public health website Monday morning. 

Four months after the first COVID-19 case was detected in Kern County, the virus is building momentum, straining hospitals, creating high demand for testing and claiming an average of one death a day now.