Saying that a “big increase” in COVID-19 hospitalizations is just around the corner, SF Director of Public Health Dr. Grant Colfax announced Thursday that the city is opening a new hospital facility for patients. hospitalized in the Presidio to accommodate COVID- negative patients needing acute care.
Hospitalizations have increased in San Francisco and across the Bay Area in recent weeks, and Colfax said at a press conference that hospitalizations peaked this week at 107 and were “higher than ever”, although City data shows there were 125 confirmed and suspected patients in city hospitals as of Monday, which is still significantly less than the 212 hospitalized patients registered on April 6. State-released hospitalization data shows San Francisco had 123 confirmed and suspected patients in hospitals as of Wednesday, with 41 of those in ICU beds.
“Let me be clear. We are in a big wave of COVID-19,” Colfax said Thursday. “The virus is moving fast and more people are becoming seriously ill.”
Colfax also cited the number of 26 hospitalizations, which was the total just six weeks ago in San Francisco.
At the current rate of spread of the virus in the city, Colfax said, we could be seeing 750 hospitalizations in mid-October and more than 600 deaths.
As of Thursday, San Francisco had recorded 6,423 cases of COVID-19, a jump of 226 more than on Wednesday. The city also added a new death, for a total of 58.
The city is now opening the new hospital site on Gorgas Avenue in the Presidio, as reported by the Chronicle, which will accommodate 93 patients who do not have the coronavirus.
As ABC 7 reports, Colfax cited a “plausible” worst-case scenario in which 2,400 people could require hospitalization in San Francisco for the fall, and 1,800 people could die.
The case count has increased in San Francisco on average about 2 percent each day in July. In June, the daily rally averaged around 1.15 percent. And the Department of Public Health reports that the seven-day moving average of positive percentages among San Francisco residents who were tested for the virus rose to 4.8 percent last week, after hovering around 2-3 percent. During two months.
Colfax was trying to sound the alarm once again at Thursday’s press conference, saying: “Everyone should behave as if each of us has COVID-19. No matter how you feel or look, or even if you have a negative test, be careful. “
He added, “Please wear a mask. It really isn’t that difficult. I want to see San Francisco opening schools instead of medical sites, and I know you do, too.”
Related: The Bay Area has its worst week with 170 new COVID hospitalizations, 54 deaths, more than 5,600 new cases
Bay Area Coronavirus Information – Daily Update
