Coronavirus: San Francisco will run out of ICU beds by Dec. 26 if present pattern continues, Dr. Colfax warns
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) – San Francisco’s Director of Public Health, Dr. Grant Colfax, had a dire warning to residents on Friday as COVID-19 cases are increasing nationwide: If the virus continues to spread at the current rate, the city will run out of intensive care hospital beds by December 26th.
Mayor London Breed matched that perspective, saying if you are not ahead of the virus you are falling far behind very quickly.
To contain the spread, San Francisco is joining several other Bay Area jurisdictions to enforce a stay at home order prior to government action.
RELATED: Here’s What’s Closed on an Order for Staying Home in the Bay Area
Contrary to the plan announced by Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday, the Bay Area regional home stay order will go into effect that Sunday through January 6th.
San Francisco, along with other counties in the Bay Area, will opt for the governor’s regional Stay at Home Order starting Sunday at 10 p.m.
We are well on the way to running out of hospital beds for patient care the day after Christmas. We have to turn this around now. https://t.co/F0qwFnCb9e
– London Breed (@LondonBreed) December 4, 2020
Breed made it clear in her message on Friday that what San Francisco is going through is difficult, but “there is a light at the end of the tunnel”.
WATCH: Mayor Breed Says What San Francisco Is Going Through Is Difficult, But “There’s A Light At The End Of The Tunnel”
Hospital admissions and cases are increasing in San Francisco, and Dr. Colfax said those numbers are likely to get worse in the coming days and weeks.
The city is recording an average of 140 new cases per day, compared to just 34 per day in October.
“We were in a much better place then,” said Breed.
Colfax said the city has about a week to stabilize the number of COVID-19 patients in the city’s hospital system.
#BREAKING Starting Sunday December 6th, these activities are required to cease operations in San Francisco via @LondonBreed: hair and nail salons, hair salons / tattoos / beauticians, outdoor dining, open air museums, playgrounds
– Kate Larsen (@ KateABC7) December 4, 2020
“Our biggest fear all along is that we won’t have a bed for you or your mother or your grandmother or grandfather if they get sick,” said Breed. “(It’s) the reality we’ll face if we don’t slow the spread. The actions we’ve tried so far just haven’t turned the curve the way we need them to.”
RELATED: 5 Bay Area counties to announce new restrictions, sources say sources
As part of the Bay Area home stay arrangement, restaurants will be limited to take away and delivery, personal services such as nail salons and hair salons will be closed, and retail store capacity will be limited to 20%.
If the virus continues at the current rate, Dr. Colfax announced that San Francisco hospitals will be short of ICU beds by December 26th.
“If this trend continues and we don’t slow the spread of the virus, we will no longer be able to care for the people in San Francisco’s hospitals, not just because of the beds, but also because we won’t have enough nurses and doctors, to “adequately care for people,” warned Colfax.
According to Colfax, 75% of hospital beds in California are currently occupied.
“There will be no place to relocate patients. There will be no other place to hire more nurses or doctors, which we could otherwise do in a localized health crisis,” warned Colfax.
He emphasized that this is why the city is proceeding so “aggressively”.
“It’s going to be tough this time, but the alternative is unthinkable,” said Colfax.
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