Governor Gavin Newsom provided an update on California’s response to the coronavirus, including additional closings for watch list counties (including Los Angeles County) and closings across the state. You can read the highlights below or watch the full press conference above.
FITNESSES, CHURCHES, HALLS, MORE MUST BE CLOSED IN LA COUNTY, OTHER WATCH LIST COUNTIES
All counties on the county’s monitoring list, 30 of the state’s 58 counties, representing approximately 80% of the state’s population, have to shutdown indoor operations for additional sectors due to the risk of spread of COVID-19 . And additional openings based on county variations are no longer allowed.
The additional closures:
- Gyms
- Worship services
- Offices for non-critical sectors.
- Personal care services
- Hairdressers and hairdressers
- Indoor shopping malls
The governor said the state is returning to a modified version of its order to stay home, Newsom said. Once again, he compared the state’s order to stay home to a dimmer switch, which is not fully on with an open economy, but not completely off with a lock.
Coronavirus hospitalizations and the positivity rate continue to rise, Newsom said. The number of patients in the intensive care unit is also increasing moderately, he said.
INTERIOR RESTAURANT OPERATIONS, MORE TO BE CLOSED IN CALIFORNIA
Starting today, all counties are to shutdown indoor operations in several different areas. The list is similar to an order that already had the counties on the state’s watch list, including Los Angeles County.
Those areas are:
- Restaurants
- Wineries and tasting rooms.
- Cinemas
- Family entertainment centers.
- Zoos and museums.
- Card rooms
- Bars must close all trades.
COVID-19 IS HERE TO STAY – YOU NEED TO CHANGE YOUR BEHAVIOR
“COVID-19 will not go away anytime soon,” Newsom said.
He said the state will work to mitigate the long-term spread of the disease, until there is an effective vaccine or therapy. California is a leader in some of the work being done when it comes to COVID-19 therapeutics, Newsom said, allowing for some optimism.
The vaccines are unlikely to be available for purchase, administration and distribution on a large scale in the immediate future, Newsom said.
Californians have to adopt new behaviors to help curb the spread of COVID-19, Newsom said. Emphasized limit your mix with people outside your home – and if you have to mix, do it outside whenever I can.
It also reminded people that Wear a mask, physical distanceand Wash your hands.
LAST CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS: 7.4% POSITIVITY, SOME COUNTIES UNDER 20% BED AVAILABILITY
In the most recent reporting period, there were 8,358 COVID-19 positives. The seven-day average is 8,211. That’s above average at the moment last week: 7,876.
Had 2. 3 COVID-19 deaths yesterday. A total of 72 died Saturday. Newsom noted that more than 100 people died in one day last week, but only 6 died in another day, although, he said, 23 are likely to be low when it comes to deaths.
The states positivity rate Now it’s in 7.4% in the last 14 days In the last 7 days, the positivity rate is 7.7%. Almost yesterday 138,000 People were tested.
The positivity rate increased from 6.1% two weeks ago and from 6.7% last week. That’s a 21% increase from where the rate was two weeks ago.
Hospitalizations increased from 5,077 two weeks ago to 6,485 – An increase of 28%. Newsom noted that the growth rate has improved, as last week there was a 50% increase from the previous week.
COVID-19 patients are currently taking 9% of state hospital beds, while 60% all of the state hospital beds are occupied, including patients without COVID. That’s an 8% increase in state beds occupied by COVID patients last week.
ICU patients they’re up twenty% more than two weeks; last week, those numbers were up 39%. That went from 1,528 two weeks ago to 1,833 now. COVID-19 patients are taking 16% of ICU beds in the state.
Authorities are seeing an increase in rural areas of the state in their use of ICUs, which is part of the reason for the expansion of the stay-at-home order, Newsom said. The ICU’s capacity is below 20% in those counties.
Newsom plans an update on testing with On Tuesday, the California Secretary of Health and Human Services, Dr. Mark Ghaly.
CLOSED MAINTENANCE SCHOOLS – MORE GUIDELINES ON DISTANCE LEARNING, MASKS, SPORTS, CHORUS, MORE
The governor addressed the news that the Los Angeles Unified School District decided to start the school year with distance learning still in place. He said he wanted to applaud the leadership of the districts that decided to do so to give children and parents the opportunity to adapt and make plans.
Newsom noted that much work remains to help students affected by the “digital divide” and not have the same ability as their peers to participate in distance learning.
The governor signed the new regulations that are currently “socializing” within the school system on Friday: includes guidelines on More expensive, contact sports, chorus, busand distance education. That includes addressing the digital divide, as well as the social and emotional concerns that are part of distance learning, Newsom said.
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