Gov. Gavin Newsom says California is continuing to see a surge in new coronavirus cases and hospitalizations, as the state toughens its stance on enforcement.
Last week, Newsom announced the state would crack down on businesses that don’t follow health and safety guidance; however, he stopped short of imposing a penalty on the statewide mask order. The governor says regulators made roughly 6,000 in-person visits over the holiday weekend to bars,restaurants and other businesses to enforce safety requirements.
“Our enforcement was prioritized on parts of the state where we have known violators, where we have high-risk workplaces,” Newsom said during a press conference Monday.
The state is currently monitoring 23 counties for rises in cases.
Here’s a breakdown of COVID-19 numbers statewide:
- The state recorded nearly 5,700 new cases on Sunday
- Hospitalizations reached nearly 5,800, representing a 50% increase over 14 days
- ICU admissions reached over 1,700, representing a 39% increase over 14 days
- Positivity rate reached 6.8% of all tests in the last 14 days
Newsom says the state has ample hospital capacity overall, but some counties are coronavirus hotspots struggling to provide care to patients. Imperial County is sending patients as far away as Sacramento.
Newsom says the state worked quickly at the beginning of the pandemic to ensure the state would have hospital capacity, and says it will focus resources on hard hit areas.
The governor’s remarks Monday suggest there’s room for optimism. The most recent COVID numbers indicate the state’s testing capacity is expanding. On Saturday, California tested 127,000 people, the most tested in a single day so far. The state is now averaging over 100,000 tests per day. At the end of April, the state was averaging around 25,000 tests per day.
This weekend also recorded relatively few coronavirus deaths: 18 people died on Saturday and six people died on Sunday.
But Newsom also said the number of fatalities can swing drastically. On June 30, California recorded 110 coronavirus deaths. Los Angeles County also reported 48 new deaths Monday.
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