SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KRON) – Governor Newsom says California as a state 1% of its intensive care unit capacity available.
The state is experiencing yet another week of alarming COVID-19 numbers.
Days ahead of the holidays, California leaders are urging everyone in the state to be careful, warning against travel and gatherings.
“It is incumbent upon us, again at peril will be a surge on top of a surge where we are today on top of yet again another surge in the middle and later part of January and February,” Governor Newsom said.
Governor Gavin Newsom noting his administration is bracing for space and staffing at hospitals to stretch even thinner as California has 1% of its overall intensive care unit capacity available.
California has now five surge sites open and ready for patients.
The state has deployed 951 extra staff throughout California to help local health needs with more requests into the federal government.
Newsom says his administration is asking the state’s crisis care advisory committee to determine what steps the state might need to take in the health care system in the event COVID-19 numbers continue to surge.
“The distinctions within cities counties and regions will require more specificity of answering your question of when and how they are adopted,” Newsom said.
California’s vaccination effort continues, as governors across the country get their vaccination shots, Newsom was asked when he’s getting his.
“When the guidelines workgroup makes an independent adjudication determines I should. I don’t begrudge those in elected office that have gotten the vaccination, in many ways I applaud that, it’s important to show folks it’s safe. But for me, there’s too many people that contact me personally and contact my office desperate for the vaccine and in good conscience, I can’t get ahead of them,” Newsom said.
A vaccine advisory committee will continue to meet to determine who gets vaccinated in the next phases.