Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P]
There's no subtle way to say this: California is likely to take drastic or highly restrictive measures in response to the increase in positive cases of COVID-19it is possible that the hospitals will be overwhelmed for the disease before Christmas, according to state governor Gavin Newsom.
This is almost a fact, California is the third state most affected by the disease, with 19,304 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
The projections presented by Newsom last Monday during its press conference are not encouraging, as it noted that the intensive care units will be overloaded by mid-December, despite all the efforts that have been made to stop the spread of the disease.
As for SARS-CoV-2 infections, the state registered 1,246,042 cases, of which 15,778 were registered yesterday, December 1, a figure very close to the highest registered in California, which amounted to 16,990 cases on November 24.
"We did not anticipate this... I want the population to know that we intend to bend this proverbial curve," the governor said.
The map presented by the State Health Department is practically purple, the most restrictive level so far, with measures ranging from closing establishments to a curfew from 10 pm to 5 am, and these could get worse until they get orders to stay completely at home.
Entire counties have been severely affected by the increase in cases, which has led to measures that have also diminished the economy and even mental health, as the quarantine has already taken its toll with cases of depression.
The situation even reached the sports world, as the Forty-nine San Francisco residents, who have their home in Santa Clara County, have had to moveat least their next two home games, to the Cardinals' home in Arizona.
Until a couple of weeks ago, California seemed to have made progress in controlling the virus; however, a wave arrived without warning and hit tremendously, as last Sunday it became the first state to register more than 100,000 cases in the week of Nov. 22-28, according to data from JHU.
According to California Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. Mark Ghaly, last weekend, several state officials held meetings with local leaders and health care providers to discuss their concerns about the rising numbers and the direction things are taking.
"Everything is on the table, in terms of how we guide the state through this," he said.
The head of state health also said that the measures taken are to ensure that they are as forceful and limited in time as possible.
It should be noted that the most affected continues to be the Latino population, with 58.7 percent of positive cases occurring in the Latino community, as well as 48.5 percent of deaths recorded from the virusAccording to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).
They are followed by Caucasians with 19.2 percent of the cases positive for COVID-19, and 30.4 percent of the deaths; while Asian Americans are the third largest group with 5.8 percent of the cases and 11.7 percent of the deaths.
In response, Newsom noted that retired or part-time health care workers would be willing to return to work, and that steps are already being taken to do so, as well as the rapid construction of eleven urgent care facilities to receive patients.
In the area of vaccines, which are already outlined in Pfizer and Moderna to reach the market by the end of DecemberDue to an emergency request to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for marketing, first-line health care workers are expected to receive the first doses in the middle of this month.
However, assistance from the federal government will be necessary to cushion the economic havoc that the pandemic is wreaking, the state leader said, adding that urgent action by Congress is imperative.
At the national level, there are 13,721,304 confirmed cases by COVID-19 and, as a result, 270,242 deaths. This Tuesday, December 1, more than 180,000 new cases and 2,597 regrettable deaths were recorded.
