State Officials Announce Latest COVID-19 Facts
Date: December 29, 2020
Number: NR20-352
Contact: CDPHpress@cdph.ca.gov
As COVID-19 Surge
Continues to Overwhelm ICU Capacity, Regional Stay at Home Order Remains in
Effect for San Joaquin Valley and Southern California
SACRAMENTO ā The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced the most recent statistics on COVID-19, including data on intensive care unit (ICU) capacity across the state. Based on ICU data, four regions, San Joaquin Valley, Southern California, Greater Sacramento and the Bay Area continue under the Regional Stay at Home Order. Projected ICU capacity over the next four weeks in San Joaquin Valley and Southern California remains below 15% and as such both regions will stay under the Regional Stay at Home Order. Once a region's four-week projection shows an ICU capacity of greater than or equal to 15%, the order will be lifted for that area. ICU projections are calculated daily.
Current Available ICU Capacity by Region
- Bay Area: 10.4%
- Greater Sacramento: 19.1%
- Northern California: 27.9%
- San Joaquin Valley: 0.0%
- Southern California: 0.0%
Current Status of Regional Stay at Home Order in Affected Regions
- San Joaquin Valley: Remains under order because four-week ICU projections are less than 15%.
- Southern California: Remains under order because four-week ICU projections are less than 15%.
- Greater Sacramento: Will remain under the order until January 1 at the earliest with potential to extend depending on four-week ICU capacity projections.
- Bay Area: Will remain under the order until January 8 at the earliest with potential to extend depending on four-week ICU capacity projections.
The ICU capacity projections are based on four factors: current estimated regional ICU capacity available, measure of current community transmission, current regional case rates and the proportion of ICU cases being admitted. Decreasing community transmission and increasing the health system capacity can help a region's projected ICU capacity so they can exit the order.
Read the full Regional Stay Home Order, Supplement to the Order, and frequently asked questions.
Due to high rates of COVID-19 hospitalizations impacting the health care system, California is also under a Limited Stay at Home Order. The order applies to all counties that are currently under the Regional Stay at Home Order and those in Tier One (Purple) of the Blueprint for a Safer Economy. The Limited Stay at Home Order will expire after the Regional Stay At Home Order has been terminated in all regions of the state.
Statewide COVID-19 Data as of Today
- California has 2,187,221 confirmed cases to date. Numbers may not represent true day-over-day change as reporting of test results can be delayed.
- There were 31,245 newly recorded confirmed cases Monday.
- The 7-day positivity rate is 12.0% and the 14-day positivity rate is 12.6%.
- There have been 32,374,471 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 245,955 over the prior 24-hour reporting period.
- As case numbers continue to rise in California, the total number of individuals who will have serious outcomes will also increase. There have been 24,526 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
Tracking COVID-19 in California
State Dashboard ā Daily COVID-19 data
County Map ā Local data, including tier status and ICU capacity
Data and Tools ā Models and dashboards for researchers, scientists and the public
Blueprint for a Safer Economy ā Data for establishing tier status
ADDITIONAL DATA & UPDATES
Vaccinate All 58
The COVID-19 vaccination is one of the most important tools to end the pandemic. California will distribute a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine in a fair way to everyone who wants it in all 58 counties. Visit the Vaccinate All 58 webpage.
Health Care Workers
As of December 28, local health departments have reported 67,956 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 251 deaths statewide.
Health Equity
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted existing inequities in health that are the result of structural racism and poverty, and the disproportionate prevalence of underlying conditions such as asthma and heart disease among Latinos and African Americans. California is committed to understanding these inequities to help ensure the best health outcomes for all Californians. View COVID-19 Race & Ethnicity Data and Cases and Deaths by Age Group. Visit the new Health Equity Dashboard.
Testing Turnaround Time
The testing turnaround time dashboard reports how long California patients are waiting for COVID-19 test results. During the week of December 6 to December 12, the average time patients waited for test results was 1.8 days. During this same time period, 46% of patients received test results in one day and 75% received them within two days.
Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)
As of December 28, 159 cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) have been reported statewide. MIS-C is a rare inflammatory condition associated with COVID-19 that can damage multiple organ systems. MIS-C can require hospitalization and be life threatening.
Your Actions Save Lives
Protect yourself, family, friends and community by following these prevention measures:
- If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle or body aches), call your health care provider.
- If you believe you have been exposed, get tested. Free, confidential testing is available statewide.
- Stay home except for essential activities and follow local public health guidance.
- Keep interactions to people who live in your household.
- Wear a cloth face mask when out in public.
- Avoid non-essential travel and stay close to home; self-quarantine for 14 days after arrival if you leave the state.
- Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick and stay home from work, school or other people if you feel ill.
- Add your phone to the fight by signing up for COVID-19 exposure notifications from CA Notify.
- Answer the call if a contact tracer from the CA COVID Team or local health department tries to connect.