Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].
There's no subtle way to say this: It is very likely that California will take drastic or highly restrictive measures in response to the increase in COVID-19 positive cases.it 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 most affected state by the disease, with 19,304 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
The projections presented by Newsom last Monday during his press conference are not encouraging, as he pointed out 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.
In terms of SARS-CoV-2 infections, the state recorded 1,246,42 cases, of which 15,778 cases were recorded yesterday, December 1, very close to the highest number recorded in California, which amounted to 16,990 cases on November 24.
"Didn't we anticipate this? I want the public to know that we intend to bend this proverbial curve," the governor said.
The map presented by the state Department of Health is practically colored purple, the most restrictive level so far, with measures ranging from facility closures to a curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. and these could worsen to orders to be kept completely at home..
Entire counties have been severely affected by the increase in cases, which have resulted in 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 has even reached the sports world, since the Forty-nine San Francisco residents, who have their home in Santa Clara County, have had to moveThe Cardinals, at least their next two home games, will be at the home of the Cardinals in Arizona.
Until a couple of weeks ago, California seemed to have made progress in controlling the virus; however, a wave came without warning and hit tremendously, as last Sunday it became the first state to record more than 100,000 cases in the week of November 22-28 according to JHU data.
According to California Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. Mark Ghaly, state officials held meetings with local leaders and health care providers last weekend to discuss their concerns about the rising numbers and the direction things are going.
"Everything is on the table, in terms of how we guide the state through this," he said.
The head of state health also pointed out that the aim is to ensure that the measures taken are as forceful and limited in time as possible.
It should be noted that the most affected continues to be the Latino population, as 58.7 percent of the positive cases correspond to this community, as well as 48.5 percent of the deaths registered due to the virus.according to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).
They are followed by Caucasians with 19.2 percent of the COVID-19 positive cases and 30.4 percent of the deaths, while Asian-Americans are the third group with the highest number of cases, accounting for 5.8 percent of the cases and 11.7 percent of the deaths.
Newsom noted that retired or part-time health care workers would be willing to return to work, and that the necessary measures are already being planned for this purpose. rapid construction of eleven urgent care facilities for receiving patients.
In the area of vaccines, which are already outlined in Pfizer and Moderna to reach the market by the end of December at the latestDue to an emergency application to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for marketing, front-line health care workers are expected to receive the first doses by the middle of this month.
However, aid from the federal government will be necessary to cushion the economic devastation caused by the pandemic, said the state governor, adding that it is imperative that Congress act urgently on the matter.
Nationwide, there are 13,721,304 cases confirmed by COVID-19 and, as a result, 270,242 deaths. On Tuesday, December 1 alone, more than 180,000 new cases and 2,597 unfortunate deaths were recorded.
