Gov. Gavin Newsom said California is experiencing a steady but “moderate” increase in the number of patients who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
During a press briefing Tuesday, Newsom expressed optimism that physical distancing measures and a statewide shelter-at-home order have bought the state valuable time to prepare for a potential surge in the number of patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 that will require treatment in hospitals and in intensive care units.
“That curve continues to rise, just not at the slope that was originally projected without the kind of interventions, these non-pharmaceutical interventions like physical distancing have provided,” Newsom said.
The governor said the state has recorded 15,865 positive tests to date, representing a 10.7 percent increase in the number of confirmed cases since his Monday press briefing. Updated data compiled by this news organization shows more than 16,000 Californians have tested positive for COVID-19 since the first case in the state was recorded in Santa Clara County on January 31.
Newsom is given updated information regarding the number of Californians with COVID-19 who have been hospitalized and moved to intensive care units each day, and on Tuesday, the governor suggested the numbers he received indicated Californians are “stretching” the state’s curve. There are now 2,611 patients hospitalized with the coronavirus, a 4.1 percent increase from Monday, and 1,108 patients in ICU beds, a 2.1 percent increase in the same 24-hour time frame.
“2.1 percent, we’ll take,” Newsom said. “Of course, too many, we want to see that number go down, not up, but these are not the double-digit increases in hospitalizations or ICU rates we saw even a week or so ago.”
Data compiled by this news organization shows nearly 400 Californians have died after contracting the novel coronavirus, including nearly 100 in the Bay Area.
The governor and Dr. Mark Ghaly, the Secretary of the California Health and Human Services, said updated modeling based on the latest data the state has received shows Californians are “flattening the curve” around the state, which effectively pushes the time frame for when hospitals may experience their greatest surge in patients back.
“We know that the bending or flattening of the curve means two things,” Dr. Ghaly said. “It means our peak comes down, but it also goes further out.”
Newsom said more than 157,800 coronavirus tests have been conducted around the state, but until testing can become more widespread, tests will be reserved for people in high-risk groups and frontline responders.
Newsom also said most regions around California still have hundreds if not thousands of hospital beds available and the state is actively working to increase the capacity for a potential surge in patients.
