Newsom: California Regions In 'Purple Tier' Could Be Placed Under Stay-At-Home Order To Slow COVID Hospitalizations
SACRAMENTO (CBS13/AP) - Some regions in California hardest-hit by COVID-19 hospitalizations could be under a mandatory stay-at-home order if hospitalizations increase, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday.
Newsom pointed to a recent surge of COVID-19 in the state, where, over the last two weeks, COVID-19-related hospitalizations have increased by 67 percent. The 7-day average is 14,657 new cases. In July, the peak average was 9,881.
"If these trends continue, California will need to take drastic action, including a potential stay-at-home order for regions with concerning hospitalizations and ICU capacity," the Governor said.
Regions that are projected by the state to exceed their ICU beds are as follows:
- Northern California - Early December
- San Joaquin Valley - Mid-December
- Southern California - Mid-to-late December
- Greater Sacramento - Late December
- Bay Area - Early January
If they continue at the current hospitalization rate, the regions mentioned above will be at these capacity levels by Christmas eve:
- Northern California - 134%
- San Joaquin Valley - 120%
- Southern California - 107%
- Greater Sacramento 103%
- Bay Area - 91%
As a whole, the state is projected to run out of ICU hospital beds by mid-December if current trends continue. On December 24, it will be at 124% of capacity.
This is the tipping point.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) November 30, 2020
CA has worked hard to prepare for a surge—but we can't sustain the record high cases we're seeing.
Current projections show CA will run out of current ICU beds before Christmas Eve.
Please stay safe & stay home as much as you can for next few weeks. pic.twitter.com/5NJYzHokhE
Governor Newsom said that this week the state would determine if these regions in the "purple tier" would move into the "deep purple tier" and be subject to the stay-at-home order.
ALSO READ: California To Receive 327,000 Doses Of Pfizer COVID Vaccine In Next Few Weeks
Some regions have already moved ahead with tighter restrictions. Los Angeles County imposed a stay-at-home order for its 10 million residents, and Santa Clara County, in the heart of Silicon Valley, banned high school, college and professional sports and decreed a quarantine for those who have traveled more than 150 miles outside the county.
The virus is blamed for over 267,000 deaths and more than 13.4 million confirmed infections in the U.S. The country on average is seeing more than 160,000 new cases per day and over 1,400 deaths — a toll on par with what the nation witnessed in mid-May, when New York City was the epicenter.
A record 90,000 people were in the hospital with the virus in the U.S. as of Sunday, pushing many medical institutions to the limit.
More from CBS Sacramento:
- COVID Tests Now Mandatory For Patients Admitted To California Acute-Care Hospitals
- Local Hospitals Brace For Post-Holiday COVID Surge
- Roseville Police Yet To Identify 2 Found Shot To Death In Parking Lot
[EDITOR'S NOTE: A previous version of this story incorrectly reported that ICU admissions over the last 14 days were 89%. The story has been changed to reflect the correct rate of 67%]
Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report