December 9, 2020 – 3:15 p.m.
In upcoming days and weeks, the state would mandate more Californians to observe strict adherence with the newly imposed stay-at-home-order.
California’s most restrictive pandemic guidelines will mostly require the greater Sacramento region to abide by them starting this week. The said district has recorded its hospital bed and intensive care unit capacity below 15%. On Thursday, the Department of Public Health’s official website reported an ICU capacity of 14.3% across California’s 13 counties along with its state capital.
Meanwhile, Monterey County has decided on Wednesday to adopt the new stay-at-home order before the state announces its official enactment. San Francisco, Santa Clara, Contra Costa, Alameda, and Marin counties in the Bay Area also decided to follow suit.
Starting at 10 p.m. Sunday, the new order mandates a region to establish more pandemic restrictions if its intensive care unit size reaches 15% and below. Moreover, the implemented stay-at-home regulation splits the state into five separate districts. The ruling would stay in place for a month. By January 10 at 6 p.m., the order would come to a close.
The new pandemic restrictions require residents to stay indoors at all times except for essential activities, such as going to work or doing grocery shopping. Stores should reduce customer capacity inside their establishments, while restaurants should halt their outdoor dining services. Additionally, personal care businesses like hair salons and barbers should suspend operations.
Regions San Joaquin Valley and Southern California got admitted to the new order’s strictest category. Independent from the state, San Francisco Bay Area’s several counties have also implemented their respective pandemic protocols.
December 9, 2020 – 1:15 p.m.
On Wednesday, San Francisco’s Public Health director Dr. Grant Colfax announced in a press conference that as early as December 15, the city expects to receive Pfizer’s first vaccine. The reported number of incoming doses sums up to 12,000.
Colfax explained that the first batches to receive the vaccines are nursing homes and hospitals. He also added that people could expect widespread distributions by next summer or spring.
Last week, the California Department of Public Health revealed a list of state hospitals scheduled to receive initial issuance of the vaccine. The record includes Zuckerberg San Francisco General and UCSF medical institutions to obtain the first group of doses.
By Thursday, a national committee would discuss the approval of the first vaccine made by Pfizer. If most panel members vote for its authorization, the country may start distributing its first doses beginning Friday.
December 9, 2020 – 7:30 a.m.
During a Tuesday briefing, Dr. Ahmad Kamala announced that in the past 24 hours, Santa Clara County had reported at least 1,450 new coronavirus cases. According to Kamala, the current count is double the record of last week’s infected patients. The number has shown recent widespread transmissions across the county. Moreover, the district’s director of health preparedness said that 10% of the newly reported cases would need hospitalizations.
Out of Bay Area’s nine counties, Santa Clara suffers from the most severe effects of the pandemic. Recent reports have confirmed that the region’s hospital capacity is running out.
Santa Clara County listed 62 new hospitalized COVID-19 patients on Monday. On Tuesday, the county only has 50 remaining ICU beds available. Only the sickest coronavirus patients would occupy the vacancies.
December 9, 2020 – 7:15 a.m.
In an interview with KTVU-TV, San Jose Regional Medical Center declared its intensive care unit capacity filled. As of Wednesday morning, several Santa Clara County Hospital staffers attended to 66 COVID-19 patients.
December 8, 2020 – 12:30 p.m.
In a public announcement on Tuesday, California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly reported that the state saw a 70.8% increase in hospitalizations in the past two weeks. The said rise is California’s highest recorded percentage of COVID-19 confinements since the start of the pandemic. As of Monday, the nation has reported over 10,567 patients hospitalized.
Since last week, California closely monitors its ICU capacity as new COVID-19 patients get confined across the state’s hospital and medical centers.
