Topline
The availability of Intensive-care units in Southern California hit 0% on Thursday even as new Covid-19 cases in the region continue to grow, the Wall Street Journal reported, highlighting how the recent surge in the pandemic could soon leave patients without access to critical care.
Clinicians care for a COVID-19 patient in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Sharp Grossmont Hospital ... [+]
Key Facts
According to the report, hitting 0% doesn’t necessarily mean that no beds are available but it highlights how the continuing surge has severely eroded the critical care capacity in hospitals.
Official data published by the state shows that 13 counties in California have zero ICU beds available and 16 more counties only have 5 or fewer such critical care beds remaining.
While Southern California’s 11 counties are the worst hit in terms of ICU occupancy, other regions in the state are also running low on beds, the Journal’s report adds.
The San Joaquin Valley, for example, has only 0.07% ICU capacity available as of Thursday.
Statewide ICU availability is at 3% or 1,260 beds, a quarter of which are in Los Angeles county.
Big Number
16,426. That is the total number of people currently hospitalized with Covid-19 in California, according to data collected by the Covid Tracking Project. Hospitalizations in California have risen by 27% compared to the previous week, which is higher than any other state in America.
Key Background
Earlier this month, California Governor Gavin Newsom unveiled a framework for regional shutdowns based on ICU availability. Under this plan, a region whose ICU capacity falls below 15% is forced to follow stay-at-home orders. Under this plan, California was divided into five regions: Northern California, Bay Area, Greater Sacramento, San Joaquin Valley and Southern California. Every single region in California is under the 15% threshold now with the Bay Area, having the highest capacity at around 13%. Despite that, some counties in the Bay Area are out of beds and are refusing to take patients from outside, the Journal’s report noted. Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths have surged to record highs in California ahead of what is likely to be one of the busiest travel weeks of the year.
Further Reading
Southern California Has 0% ICU Capacity as Los Angeles Reports Record New Cases (Wall Street Journal)
