SAN DIEGO — Gov. Newsom started his state COVID-19 update Monday afternoon by addressing the stay-at-home orders. The governor said the 4-week ICU projections are set to be announced Tuesday, December 29.
Southern California ICU capacity stands at 0% and the stay-at-home orders for the Southern California and San Joaquin Valley regions are set to expire Monday, but the areas are still struggling.
“Likely the stay-at-home orders will be extended,” said Newsom during his news conference.
Dr. Ghaly is scheduled to provide an update Tuesday on the possibility of a stay-at-home extension in Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley, after Monday’s data is collected.
Newsom also noted that based upon a large number of people who appeared to have ignored warnings against travel over the Christmas holiday, and those who will likely so do over the upcoming New Year's holiday, the state is bracing for a "surge on top of a surge, arguably on top of, again, another surge."
California hit two two million confirmed coronavirus cases on Christmas Eve. In San Diego, county public health officials reported 1,751 new COVID-19 infections Monday, marking the 28th day with more than 1,000 cases, as leaders around the region await Gov. Gavin Newsom's likely formal extension of a regional stay-at-home order.
That order, which covers an 11-county Southern California area, took effect at 11:59 p.m. Dec. 6 and was set to expire Monday. But with the region's intensive-care unit capacity at hospitals still effectively listed at 0%, Newsom said the order is all but certain to be extended.
Newsom also announced Monday that California has opted in to the federal COVID-19 Pharmacy Partnership, which is no cost to the state or local government. The partnership means CVS and Walgreens will administer the Pfizer vaccine to residents and staff in long-term care facilities. CVS and Walgreens started Monday with nursing homes, which will take an estimated three to four weeks, and then move to vaccinate staff and residents in assisted living, residential care and other long-term care facilities.
“Vaccinating those most vulnerable among us is critical to fighting this virus,” said Governor Newsom. “By leveraging CVS and Walgreens resources, we can effectively deploy vaccines to residents and staff at our long-term care facilities, which are at higher risk of COVID transmission – and do it at no cost to the state or local government.”
Approximately 499 nursing homes will be provided vaccine by CVS and 357 by Walgreens.
