California Health Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly delivered an update on California's response to coronavirus. Read highlights below or watch the full video above.
Ghaly said that while there's not a clear definition of a surge, we are definitely in the middle of one.
"Cases are on the rise here in California, and we are concerned," Ghaly said. "As I say to my patients, often, when I'm worried, I'll tell you so you can worry with me — and we're there."
TRAVEL ADVISORY: CALIFORNIANS ENCOURAGED TO AVOID TRAVEL
Ghaly spoke about the state's new travel advisory, which California announced along with Oregon and Washington. Traveling or having others travel to your home could potentially cause an increase in transmission, Ghaly said.
"Please don't travel. If it's not essential, please consider delaying it as long as you can, through this pandemic," Ghaly said.
This isn't a travel ban or restriction, Ghaly noted, but an advisory. Californians are encouraged to stay close to home and avoid non-essential travel to other states or countries — and Ghaly added that even avoiding travel to other counties is encouraged.
They're also asking people who arrive in California from other states or countries to self-quarantine for 14 days before mixing with others, and limit interactions to their immediate household. Ghaly noted this was particularly important as more people travel for the holidays or other winter events.
"Really, we're asking people to first consider whether that non-essential travel is the right thing to do now," Ghaly said. "We urge people to consider staying close to home, staying at home, staying with their household, experiencing loved ones virtually — on the phone, by Zoom, by whatever mode they can imagine. But really, choosing to make that decision today, rather than risk getting infected themselves, or additionally bringing home the virus and having it transmitted in our workplaces, or in other parts of our state, especially given the levels of transmission that we see. But if the choice is made to go and travel, we do urge people to do the 14-day quarantine when they return."
Travel increases your chance of getting and spreading the virus, Ghaly said.
A CHECKLIST FOR SAFER SMALL GATHERINGS
As the weather turns colder, Ghaly said that many of us have COVID fatigue. He said that the safest gatherings remain at home, with members of your own household — he encouraged people to hold gatherings virtually whenever possible.
When you do gather with others, Ghaly reminded listeners that gatherings outdoors are significantly safer than those inside.
The state is offering this checklist of tips for how to safely celebrate the holidays:
- Check your local public health website for restrictions
- Wear your mask
He noted the particularly dangerous time when people are sharing a meal or drinks, or have an urge to take the mask off at the end of a gathering. But, as much as possible, he urged people to keep their masks on to avoid COVID-19 air droplets.
- Keep your distance — spread things out
Ghaly suggested meeting in areas other than your living room or dining room, if you have space for people to be in other rooms.
- Keep it small — no more than 3 households, including your own
For the holidays, while keeping celebrations within your household is the safest, Ghaly emphasized that if you invite others, you should only invite a maximum of two other households.
- Keep things short
Instead of a 3-4 hour gathering, try keeping it to 60-90 minutes, Ghaly said. This helps to keep you from letting your guard down, while still having time to visit with people.
- Keep windows open and outside air circulating
- Protect older and at-risk friends and family
Ghaly said that he knows there's an urge to see grandparents or aunts and uncles, but that keeping your guard up is essential.
He said that the state is strongly encouraging you not to invite those older and with higher risk to gatherings. But if you must, make sure they have the right mask, discuss ways to protect them, talk with everyone who will be at the gathering to do all you can to protect those people.
Just over 10% of the state's cases are those over 65 — but that group makes up nearly 75% of the state's deaths.
People at higher risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19 — including older adults and those with chronic medical conditions — are strongly urged not to attend any gatherings. That includes outdoor ones, but especially indoor ones, Ghaly noted.
If you do gather with older people or those with chronic conditions, make sure to wear a surgical mask. While a cloth face mask can be sufficient for many settings and people, a surgical mask is more helpful for these vulnerable groups.
LATEST CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS
California's seven-day COVID-19 case average is 6,773 cases per day, with today's numbers continuing to rise at 6,893. The state's 14-day positivity rate is 4%, with 136,428 tests conducted per day. That's a full percentage higher than two weeks ago — it was 3% on Oct. 29.
Hospitalizations have gone up 34.6% over the past two weeks, with ICU hospitalizations up 36.7%. There are 3,399 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized, with 931 in ICU beds.
This compares to a similar position to where the case rate was in June, according to state epidemiologist Dr. Erica Pan. From June 15 to June 21, cases went up 39.2%; from Nov. 1 to Nov. 7, cases went up 47.1%.
"It's important and it's sobering when people do find loved ones who are infected who have serious consequences, and even when loved ones die, that those are avoidable situations in many, many cases," Ghaly said.
COUNTIES MAY NEED TO INCREASE RESTRICTIONS FASTER
Pan said that the state had used a "slow and stringent approach" to reopening counties, allowing a significant number to reopen over the past two months. But, the number of new cases has increased "dramatically" since the beginning of November — and that time is of the essence when cases are increasing this fast.
Ghaly said that, while they'd had a slow, stringent approach to reopening, they are continuing to look at potentially quickly bringing back restrictions if needed. They will be continuing to consider that over the weekend.
He added that instead of waiting for two weeks of data, counties may move into more stringent restriction tiers after just one week if the data is compelling enough. Also, while the state has generally only moved counties one tier at a time, it could move back more tiers at a time if cases are particularly bad. Counties have also been able to wait three days before moving back into a more restrictive tier, but that may change and need to happen faster, according to Ghaly.
The state is also considering whether additional changes to the current, most-restrictive purple tier will need to be made. They are looking at whether some additional restrictions in purple-tier counties are needed.
"We are not looking today at a statewide stay-at-home order," Ghaly said. He later said, "Case spread, even in purple counties, is not unexpected when the baseline transmission rates across our state, across our nation, are as high as they are."
Ghaly said he has spoken with his own family about altering their behaviors becaus they live in LA County, which is in the purple tier.
Pan re-emphasized remembering the basics for what's successfully helped reduce cases in the past. The peak could be even higher than it was over the summer, she said.
"We always hope to have positive news, and this isn't really positive news," Ghaly said. "This is an important, immediate situation."
About two weeks after a set of cases is reported, about 12% of those cases end up in the hospital, Ghaly said. This rapid rise in cases has officials concerned about hospital capacity, as well as others besides those COVID-19 patients who might have both routine and emergency health needs.
HIGH-RISK ACTIVITIES
Ghaly ran through activities seen as high-risk:
- Activities where it is difficult to mask the whole time (e.g. eating and drinking)
- Activities where you see people who you haven't seen recently (e.g. people outside your household)
"Just because we're personally close to someone — a family member, a really close friend, who we haven't seen in a while — that doesn't create comfort when it comes to COVID," Ghaly said. "We may actually put our guard down ... and that's exactly the condition that creates spread and transmission of COVID-19."
- Activities where it is difficult to keep your distance (e.g. multiple people at a small table for a meal, for a board game, etc.)
- Activities of a longer duration
- Activities that don't allow for plenty of fresh air to circulate
Ghaly said outdoor activities under canopies with as many sides open as possible could be lower risk, but even when you're indoors, keep windows and doors open and keep outside air circulating to reduce the risk of transmission.
"We know this is a difficult time for many, personally, for many businesses, and a number of others throughout our state," Ghaly said. "We trust that the message we give today isn't an easy one, but it's an important one."
Ghaly asked for Californians to come together to flatten and crush the curve once again.
The Link LonkNovember 14, 2020 at 09:16AM
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