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Nearly 200 people have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus in California as of March 12, with 44 cases in seven counties attributed to community transmission, the state Department of Public Health said. The state is focused on containing the spread of the epidemic over the next few months while preparing emergency measures if the effort falls short. (California Department of Public Health)March 12, 2020
Catholic San Francisco
Large gatherings that include 250 people or more should be postponed or canceled at least through the end of March, the California Department of Public Health said.
The directive includes gatherings such as concerts, conferences and professional, college and school sporting events. Smaller gatherings held in venues that do not allow social distancing of six feet per person should be postponed or canceled. Gatherings of individuals who are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 should be limited to no more than 10 people.
Find the document at: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/CDPH%20Document%20Library/Gathering_Guidance_03.11.20.pdf.
"While it is a directive and its legal guidance is limited, the expectation is it will be advanced and will be adopted," Gov. Gavin Newsom told a Sacramento news conference. "We have the tools in our tool kit if we need to move forward with increased capacity … but I don’t think we’ll have to do that."
He said he expects similar restrictions to be adopted across the country.
The order is effective through the end of the month but is likely to be extended, Newsom said.
He said the order is part of a social distancing strategy “to slow down the spread, to get through a peak and get through the next few months to make sure we don’t overwhelm our health care delivery system."
The order includes a provision for the state to commandeer hotels and motels if extra housing is needed for quarantined patients.
Newsom said the state is rapidly increasing its capacity to test people for the virus, with capacity growing to three commercial labs and six hospitals in addition to the state's 18 labs. Testing capacity will rise to 5,000 a day by the end of the month, he said.
He said the number of positive cases will grow as testing expands, adding that the state is attempting to contain the pandemic's spread while preparing for emergency measures if it is not contained. He said the state is focused on protecting the most vulnerable citizens, including the elderly and those with disabilities.
California had 198 positive COVID-19 cases and four deaths as of 7 a.m. March 12, a 10% increase from the previous day. The number includes 24 from repatriation flights, 60 that are travel-related, 43 from person-to-person transmission, 44 from community transmission and 27 unknown. The 44 community transmission cases are spread across six counties in Northern California -- incuding San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara -- and Riverside County.
Approximately 11,100 people are self-monitoring, across 49 local health jurisdictions, after returning to the U.S. from travel.
In San Francisco, Mayor London Breed announced a public health order prohibiting non-essential visitors from entering long-term care facilities within city limits. The order builds on the city’s public health recommendations and a prior public health order issued on March 7 regarding city-owned and operated long-term care facilities at Laguna Honda and Zuckerberg San Francisco General hospitals.