"They don't want to give that information," he said. Out of a group of 471 people who recently tested positive for the virus, only 18 contacts were identified, Levin said, suggesting the number should have been more than 400. He said people who test positive have become increasingly reluctant to identify others who may have been exposed to them. Robert Levin, Ventura County public health officer, offered similar hope but also said new barriers have emerged. Ghaly expressed confidence the lockdown will bring dramatic results in Southern California and other regions, citing gains made elsewhere in the world where lockdowns have been instituted.ĭr. "We are concerned the high prevalence of disease in the large Southern California counties will prevent our three counties from exiting the (stay-at-home order)," public health leaders from the three counties said in their letter to the state. They noted the Southern California region is dominated by large regions like Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties. County officials say SoCal region puts them in tough positionĬounty officials argued the three counties often work together and have approached aspects of the COVID pandemic in a similar manner. Officials also asserted local data suggests spread of the virus is not coming from the operation of businesses that carefully follow COVID protocols. We’re just being more nimble,” said Long. They said that even if the new region is approved, they would continue to network with hospitals across Southern California and share resources. "Our hospitals are being strained," said Ventura County Executive Officer Mike Powers, adding the ICU capacity numbers will likely increase more as area hospitals adjust to modifications in the state formula for identifying available and staffed beds.Ĭounty officials said the proposed new region would not affect how ICU patients are transferred from one hospital to another. "We need to help our community."ĬOVID cases and hospitalizations have surged in Ventura County. In hospitals across Ventura County, ICU capacity fell as low as 9.1% this week before improving on Tuesday. Ventura County Board of Supervisors Chairperson Kelly Long said Tuesday the new region would allow the county to safely reopen businesses. What you need to know: California issues stay-at-home order alert County officials want to reopen businesses They also noted they are not asking for approval "at this time" from the state, rather for consideration in three weeks. Ventura County officials said later Ghaly's comment came before he had seen letters formally outlining the proposal from the three counties. He said the state didn't want to jeopardize that support system. Ghaly asserted the regions were designed to make sure hospitals could share resources and help each other out if ICU capacities in some communities were overwhelmed. "At the moment we don't have an intention to make a change to the region," Ghaly told reporters Tuesday. “We feel we would be able to better serve our community.” 5 California regions setup unlikely to changeīut changes in the current region setup are not likely to be sanctioned by the state, according to California Health & Human Services Secretary Dr. "We really feel strongly that being in such a large region, we might be stuck," said Ventura County Public Health Director Rigoberto Vargas, noting the fate would be different in a three-county region. Ventura County officials expressed concern whether the 15% mark could be reached and sustained across their current region. Ventura County's capacity rate has been driven by rocketing hospitalization rates and stood at 12.1% Tuesday, according to state data.Ĭapacity in the Southern California region was 10.1% Tuesday. Ventura County officials say the new region's collective capacity is already far above the benchmark - above 30% according to calculations on Monday driven by impressive capacities in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. Ventura County qualifies for the most restrictive tier - purple. When the order ends, counties still face restrictions as part of the state's color-coded tier system. After the initial three weeks, the length of the order is determined by projections of whether the region can keep ICU capacity at or above 15% for the next four weeks. Regions face the stay-at-home order when their collective ICU capacities dip below 15%. When must I stay home during COVID-19 pandemic?
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |