SACRAMENT (CBS13): Holidays may be over, but their effects may be felt over the next few weeks.
COVID-19 cases continue to rise and ICU beds are declining in the Greater Sacramento region. Data released by the state reflects the number of beds in the area which made it impossible for the area to leave the stay-at-home order after three weeks.
“We’re glad we’re still here,” said Edward Roehr, one of Magpie’s owners in downtown Sacramento.
Roehr is grateful that the restaurant is still standing, thanks to the creative adaptations and the support of the regulars. The restaurant is one of the many affected by the shutdown and can only serve takeaway food.
“For us, we do 20% of what we’re supposed to do,” Roehr said.
Although he believes that the loss of sales cannot be compared to the loss of lives.
“Doing what’s safe will be the most important thing,” he said.
Deaths, hospitalizations, and COVID cases have increased in California in recent weeks. Currently, the ICUs in the Greater Sacramento region are 93% full, forcing the area to remain closed.
“Will we ever return to normal?” asked Mark Shepherd of Sacramento. “That’s the question.”
Probably the answer: “normal” is still months, but leaving the home order may arrive sooner. To do so, the state relies on ICU capacity projections for an area over a four-week period to make its decision.
Its projections are based on four key data: the current regional ICU capacity of an area, community transmission, case rates, and the proportion of ICU admissions.
A region may leave order when these four-week projections reflect a UCI capacity of 15% or more.
“It’s pretty obvious we don’t have any kind of control over what’s going on,” Ron Stark said.
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Stark said he feels frustrated and things are about to get worse now that the holidays are closed for the season.
The space in the ICU is already small, with little room to grow. People like Shepherd are urging the public to listen to health officials and follow the protocols.
“I think everyone feels, ‘Well, I haven’t caught the virus, I won’t catch it,'” he said. “You’re wrong, you can, and it’s very easy to catch it.”
To get an idea of how quickly the ICU capacity in the area has shrunk, on Friday the Greater Sacramento region had 11% of the ICU beds and on Saturday only 7% remained.