Half of California states on coronavirus watch list

Half of the 58 counties in California are now on the state’s coronavirus surveillance list, as the number of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths are approaching unprecedented levels.

On Thursday, authorities updated the daily record to record 137 deaths associated with 9,816 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases.

In the state, more than 302,000 coronavirus infections have been identified, with nearly 6,900 deaths.

Los Angeles County added 1,750 new cases Thursday alone, surpassing its cumulative total of 125,000.

An additional 48 deaths were reported in the county. The total death toll is currently less than 3,700.

However, the surge in new cases was partially fueled by Stanislaus County and made changes to the reporting system on Thursday, adding about 1,400 cases that were not previously aggregated.

But even without those cases, California would have so far seen one of the highest numbers in a day.

At all, state Currently watching 29 counties with increased illness prevalence and increased hospitalization-an increase from 26 at the beginning of the week.

According to the state, a recent addition was Placer County, which has “increased hospitalization and limited hospital capacity.”

As a factor promoting the spread of COVID-19, provincial authorities said, “Large households, communities, families, and indoors where it is difficult to keep away from others during illness or indoors where physical distance is difficult. Include the working environment of.”

If the county has been on the watch list for more than three consecutive days, the state requires indoor dining at bars and restaurants and other indoor business operations to be closed for at least three weeks.

The state watchlist now also includes Yuba and Sutter counties. Contrary to Home-based orders for the entire state.

In a video statement on Wednesday, Dr Yuon Sutter, Health Director Dr. Phuong Leu, said the region “does well just two months ago” while “unfortunately the community became too slow and self-satisfied.” Therefore, the situation has deteriorated.

“We were convinced that we smashed COVID-19. We never smashed it,” she said. “We just flattened the curve. But this curve has not completely disappeared, and now the number of new cases continues to grow exponentially.”

The state has identified workplace infections and “households associated with friends and family gatherings” as contributing factors to the spread of the disease in these counties. However, officials said, “40% are uncertain because there are cases where we can’t or don’t want to provide a source of exposure.”

“If the fragile health care system isn’t destroyed and the situation worsens so that it doesn’t go into crisis, it’s always this dance. Take two steps and go one step back,” Lou said. “And this dance continues until the vaccine is available.”

The complete watchlist now includes counties from every corner of California. , San Bernardino, San Diego, San Joaquin, Santa Barbara, Solano, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tulare, Ventura, Yoro, Yuba.

Governor Gavin Newtham said Thursday that the state would “more monitor and work to provide technical assistance” for all counties on the watch list “to ensure their needs are met”. Will continue to work harder.”

“Tulare County, Imperial County, LA County [and] Kings County It’s an area of ​​disproportionate focus for our team, as it relates to the current trajectory of viruses in these communities and their current ability to meet the needs of those counties,” he says. Said.

Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti warned that residents could be ordered to stay home again this week as infectious diseases and increased hospitalization in the area are at stake.

“We know more about the disease today than it did when we first hit it in March, so we can take targeted interventions to stop the spread of this new coronavirus,” he said. Said on Wednesday “But to ensure that we don’t have to close more businesses closer and further, each of us needs an individual commitment.”

Since the anniversary, hospitalizations for patients with coronavirus have more than doubled in Orange, Riverside, and Ventura counties, and more than tripled in San Bernardino county. During the same period, hospitalization increased by 35% in LA County and 28% in San Diego County

“The pandemic can’t eat anything,” said Barbara Ferrer, director of health at the County of LA, on Thursday, but she said she personally didn’t want to go back there. We hope to find ways to take care of each other and be sensitive to what we are doing. “

Times staff writers Ben Welsh, Hannah Fry, and Longong Lin II contributed to this report.