California has become the first state in the US to surpass 2 million coronavirus cases, confirmed the California Department of Public Health on Friday, reporting 39,070 new cases and 351 fatalities, which increased the overall tally to 2,003,146 and death toll to 23,635 in the most populous US state.
There are 18,875 people with Covid-19 currently hospitalised in the state, and 3,962 of them are in intensive care units (ICU). The seven-day positivity rate is 12.1 per cent and the 14-day positivity rate is 12.4 per cent, according to the Department.
Meanwhile, the 11-county Southern California region and the 12-county San Joaquin Valley region in Central California are at zero available ICU capacity. The two regions are home to around 33 million people in the state, representing 84 percent of the state's population.
ICU capacity in the Bay Area, Greater Sacramento Region and Northern California region has dropped to 9.24 per cent, 15.3 per cent and 27.5 per cent, respectively. Based on current ICU data, San Joaquin Valley, Southern California, Greater Sacramento and the Bay Area are under the regional stay at home order.
These regions would remain lockdown for at least three weeks and be eligible to exit the order only if ICU capacity projections for the following month are above or equal to 15 per cent, according to the state's authorities.
Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 diagnostic test results in California reached a total of 30,769,749, an increase of 301,189 tests from the prior day total. The rate of positive tests over the last 14 days is 12.4 percent, said the officisl website of the state government.
It took California more than nine months to cross 1 million cases but in less than six weeks, another million was added, making the state one of the worst-hit in the United States. The major spike is attributed to who defied the warnings of public health experts and gathered for Thanksgiving. With Christmas and the New year Eve around the corner, health officials have given advisory to stay home and avoid public gathering.
"Pick up your phone right now. Cancel any gathering with people who do not live with you," Dr. Ahmad Kamal, the director of health care preparedness for Santa Clara County, told the Mercury News. The county had just 35 available ICU beds available earlier this week, said Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday.
(With additional inputs from the Desk)
