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A family in Pasadena go for a walk April 13, 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic. More than 23,000 people have died in the U.S. because of the virus. (CNS photo/Mario Anzuoni, Reuters)
Updated April 19, 2020, 5:16 p.m.
April 13, 2020
Catholic San FranciscoGov. Gavin Newsom said COVID-19 hospitalizations and new cases are on a positive trend in California but "a few weeks" more are needed before planning for a post-pandemic future can start -- a future he described as anything but a return to normal.
Newsom said "we're finally seeing some rays of hope" but "pulling the plug too early" would be a mistake. "Give us a few weeks," he said.
He said he might be in a position to discuss the easing of stay-at-home orders in two weeks if declines in hospitalizations and new cases continue.
In a media briefing April 14, Newsom said shelter-in-place measures must remain until there is a sustained decline in COVID-19 pressure on the health care system and concurrent progress in developing a large-scale organization to protect citizens' health through testing, tracking, tracing, isolating and quarantine.
State data as of April 19 showed a continued but slowing daily rise in new cases in the low single digits. With Los Angeles remaining by far the epicenter of COVID-19 in the state, hospitalizations statewide had leveled off with some initial hints of easing.
Congregate living facilities continued to be a source of concern for California officials as they have been in other states and in other countries. Nursing homes represented a growing front in the fight against COVID-19, with the state's 1,224 skilled nursing facilities accounting for more than 10 percent of all COVID-19 cases in California as of April 17, according to state data.
Nearly 1,300 staff and more than 1,700 residents had tested positive as of that date.
An April 17 study by the International Long-Term Care Policy Institute found growing evidence that people living in care homes are particularly vulnerable to severe COVID-19 illness and death, with care home residents accounting for half of all deaths in Belgium, France and Spain, three of the hardest-hit countries in Europe.
“There are also numerous examples from those countries of care homes becoming unviable as not enough staff is available due to sickness and self-isolation measures,” the study said.
Newsom laid out a future California where more employees work from home, more students learn from home and gloves, masks and physical distancing are a part of social life in gatherings large and small, from restaurants to sports events. He said these measures will remain in place until there is a vaccine for COVID-19 or enough of the population is infected to develop "herd immunity."
Experts say a safe, effective vaccine may be a year away, and some estimates place the number for herd immunity at 50% to 75% of the population.
A Harvard study published April 14 found that intermittent social distancing may be needed through 2022 to ensure that hospitals have enough capacity for future COVID-19 patients in need of critical care.
Newsom said he hopes schools can resume in the fall with staggered schedules and restrictions on gatherings, including sports, lunch and recess.
He said large-scale sports events are not likely to resume in the near future. The prospect of mass gatherings is "neglible at best" until a vaccine or herd immunity, he said.
Newsom said that Californians will once again enjoy dining out, but servers may wear masks and gloves, menus may be disposable, tables will be spaced farther apart and customers' temperature will be taken at the door.
On April 13, the governors of California, Oregon and Washington have reached an agreement on a shared approach to reopen the states’ economies and control COVID-19 into the future.The governors cautioned that the rate of spread of the virus must decline before large-scale reopening.
Newsom announced the agreement with Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee.
“COVID-19 has preyed upon our interconnectedness,” the governors said in a joint statement. “In the coming weeks, the West Coast will flip the script on COVID-19 – with our states acting in close coordination and collaboration to ensure the virus can never spread wildly in our communities.”
The shared approach for reopening the states’ economies identifies clear indicators for communities to restart public life and business.
While each state is building a state-specific plan, the states have jointly agreed to a set of principles.
“Our residents’ health comes first,” the governors said. “As home to one in six Americans and gateway to the rest of the world, the West Coast has an outsized stake in controlling and ultimately defeating COVID-19.”
The governors said health outcomes and science will guide their approach.
“Modifications to our states’ stay at home orders must be made based off our understanding of the total health impacts of COVID-19, including: the direct impact of the disease on our communities; the health impact of measures introduced to control the spread in communities -- particularly felt by those already experiencing social disadvantage prior to COVID-19; and our health care systems’ ability to ensure care for those who may become sick with COVID-19 and other conditions," the governors said. "This effort will be guided by data. We need to see a decline in the rate of spread of the virus before large-scale reopening, and we will be working in coordination to identify the best metrics to guide this.”
The approach includes a focus on protecting vulnerable populations at risk for severe disease if infected. “This includes a concerted effort to prevent and fight outbreaks in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities,” the governors said.
The governors said they are committed to ensuring an ability to care for those who may become sick with COVID-19 and other conditions. This will require adequate hospital surge capacity and supplies of personal protective equipment.
The governors also pledged to mitigate non-direct COVID-19 health impacts, particularly on disadvantaged communities.
The states will work together to share best practices on testing, tracking and isolating to ensure the success of lifting social distancing mandates.