The state of coronavirus in California
The state of coronavirus in California
With the state opening up, many folks want to know, "Where is California really in the battle against COVID-19? The cold COVID-19 California facts are these, the number of positive cases, hospitalizations, and ICU admissions are all trending and ticking up, but remain well within the state's capacity to deal with them.
OAKLAND, Calif. - With the state opening up, many folks want to know, "Where is California really in the battle against COVID-19? The cold COVID-19 California facts are these, the number of positive cases, hospitalizations, and ICU admissions are all trending and ticking up, but remain well within the state's capacity to deal with them.
"We're not out of this first wave. We're not into the second wave. We're not out of the first wave," said California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Since all of this began, as of Monday, California has 178,054 coronavirus cases; up 4,500 plus cases from the previous day, the largest increase since April.
"Those that would suggest we're out of the woods, those that suggest that somehow this is going to disappear, these numbers tell a very, very different and sobering story," said Newsom.
Of those 4,500 new cases, just under 1,400 of those cases have been sent to Intensive Care Units. The cases are essentially balanced between males and females. The overwhelming majority of cases, 95,500 are in the 18 to 49 age group, with all other ages groups accounting for 78,000 cases.
In all, 5,515 Californians have died with males dying more frequently than females. African Americans deaths are about one-and-a half times greater their representation in the population in California. Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in California die at double the rate of their population proportions.
In total cases, California ranks second to New York, with half the population of California, has more than double the Golden State's cases. New Jersey, Illinois, Texas and Massachusetts all have six-digit caseloads.
As to deaths, California ranks seventh, behind New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Michigan.
Nonetheless, California is still trending up. That very much concerns UC Berkeley Clinical Professor of Public Health Emeritus Dr. John Swartzberg.
"When you see cases going up, the last thing you want to do is to continue to open up your society. That's a real red flag and that tells me. I think, we ought to be pausing right now, taking a breath, seeing where things are going. The last thing we want to do is wait until we have a surge of cases in the hospital," said Dr. John Swartzberg.
Given the demand for opening up in California, anyone's greatest defense is a mask and two arms lengths of separation.