Governor Gavin Newsom made an update on COVID-19 in California. Watch the full video above and read the highlights below.
LAST CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS
There were 29,633 new COVID-19 California cases in Sunday’s last reporting period, but Governor Newsom noted that they appear to be low, a potential result of delays caused by the holiday season. The seven-day average is still 37,845 new COVID-19 cases per day.
The average number of daily tests driven fell to 285,500 last week, but there were 421,000 tests conducted on Saturday and 314,000 on Sunday. O positivity rate it’s at 12.4% the past two weeks.
Hospitalizations for COVID-19 are growing more slowly, with a 18% increase the past two weeks. However, Newsom noted that this is likely to be a lull before a “surge” due to new cases and hospitalizations associated with holidays. There was a 22% increase in ICU admissions the past two weeks.
Newsom noted that, in the past two months, hospitalizations have increased by a multiple of seven, while the number of ICUs has increased by a multiple of six.
Meanwhile, ICU capacity remains at 0% in both Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley, which means that these areas are using their scaling capacity.
There were 97 deaths due to COVID-19 in the most recent reporting period, but probably low due to delays in weekend and holiday reporting. There was a average of 336 deaths per day in the last week, with 3,959 COVID-19 deaths in the past two weeks. The disease is now more deadly than at any previous point in this pandemic, Newsom said.
Nearly 1,300 state and federal officials have been deployed to local areas across the state to assist in responding to COVID-19.
COVID-19 VACCINE PLAN
The governor said California is working aggressively to accelerate the pace of vaccine administration. The plan to do this is to involve the health system more directly.
The plan includes the distribution of the vaccine by:
- Dentists
- Pharmacy technicians
- National Guard members
- Pharmacies
- Clinical and medical partnerships
The state received almost 1.3 million doses of vaccine so far, with 611,500 more doses coming in this week. The state gave 454,306 of those vaccine doses for people so far.
Newsom said the state had more difficulty distributing the Modern vaccine than the Pfizer vaccine.
The state continues to work during Phase 1A of vaccination, which is about three million people, which includes health professionals and long-term residents. Phase 1B includes about eight million people, while Phase 1C is expected to be a much larger group.
Phase 1B Level One includes people over 75, education and daycare workers, emergency services, food and agriculture. More details on this next level will be announced on Wednesday.
Phase 1B Level Two includes people over 65, along with transportation / logistics workers, industrial, residential and commercial shelter facilities / services, critical manufacturing, incarcerated and homeless individuals.
Phase 1C includes those over 50, those aged 16-64 with underlying medical conditions and / or disabilities, along with workers in water / waste management, defense, energy, communication and IT, financial services, chemicals / hazardous materials and operations government / community services. Although this phase will be discussed on Wednesday, the full details will not come until later.
The Community Vaccine Advisory Committee will hold a public meeting on Wednesday to discuss Phase 1B, the implementation of 1C and the operational details of vaccine administration. You can find this discussion at covid19.ca.gov.
COVID-19 VACCINE BUDGET
Newsom said the state’s current budget includes a $ 300 + million vaccine proposal. This includes funding for:
- Information technology: end-to-end vaccine management CALVAX
- Logistics and commodities: shipping containers, dry ice, freezers and more
- Public education campaign: Engage the public and key stakeholders through a “culturally competent” campaign
Newsom noted that dry ice storage remains a problem for Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, although Moderna does not need to be stored at such a cold temperature in distribution facilities.
Newsom is expected to send its 2021-22 budget to the Legislature this week, with more details on Friday.
PERFORMING THE ORDER TO STAY HOME
Mobility on the weekend of New Year’s Eve fell 23% compared to traffic volume in 2020 before the pandemic. It was similar to the numbers seen at the end of March, after the original order to stay home.
But the state is also stepping up enforcement of the regional home stay order, especially in LA County. The objective is to reduce the events / parties that are super distributors and to make the bars and restaurants fulfill orders. In LA County, efforts have focused on closing residential meetings.
MOST CONTAGIOUS COVIDA LINE IDENTIFIED IN CALIFORNIA
The new strain was detected in California, with four people identified in San Diego, with one hospitalized. There were two others identified with the strain in San Bernardino. Contact handling and disease investigation are ongoing. Newsom said that others should be identified by this afternoon, thanks to the genomic tests being conducted.
The first data show that this new strain may be more contagious, but it is no longer serious. The CDC believes that current COVID-19 vaccines will still protect against the new strain.
Newsom emphasized that the same tactics that are already being used must continue with this new lineage: masking, not mixing, not traveling, keeping your distance and washing your hands.
CALIFORNIA OXYGEN STRATEGY
Governor Newsom said there are five parts of the state’s oxygen strategy that are needed due to the potential shortage of the large amount of oxygen needed to help patients with COVID-19:
- Mitigation / Awareness
- Technical assistance
- Bulk oxygen support
- Home oxygen support / Discharge support
- System acquisition
The state created a state oxygen team as part of its efforts. The US Army Corps of Engineers was deployed to assist with oxygen in several areas, including five facilities in Los Angeles County.
CALIFORNIA PHONE EXHIBITION NOTIFICATIONS
So far, eight million Californians have activated the CA Notify service on their phones, indicating that 20% of the state is participating. Newsom encouraged Californians to add their phone to the effort.
SMALL BUSINESS GRANTS
Newsom said thousands of small businesses have already applied for state funding to support them during the pandemic, with $ 500 million in grants for small businesses. The first round of applications has been extended through January 13, with grants ranging from $ 5,000 to $ 25,000 and daily webinars available in multiple languages. You can apply for CAReliefGrant.com, with grants open to small businesses, which Newsom noted includes non-profit organizations and cultural institutions.
More details on support for small businesses are due Friday, such as the fee waiver.
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