upper waypoint

Bay Area ICU Capacity Falls to 11% Over Holiday Weekend

Save ArticleSave Article
Failed to save article

Please try again

Map of ICU bed capacity per capita in every California county. (Matthew Green/KQED)

The Bay Area is now averaging a roughly 11% ICU capacity as of Saturday, according to data released by the California Department of Public Health.

That's fewer available hospital beds, and staff, than just two weeks ago, when on Dec. 14 the Bay Area's ICU capacity was at 17.8%.

ICU capacity is key in determining a state-imposed regional stay-at-home order, which was announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom in early December. Regions fall under those stay-at-home orders when ICU capacity falls below 15% in regions defined by the state.

The health department divided the state into various regions to institute the order, including the Bay Area and greater Sacramento region, among others.

Some Bay Area counties self-imposed those restrictions, however, before dropping below that threshold.

The state also hit a grim milestone on Dec. 24, surpassing 2 million confirmed COVID-19 cases. There have been 23,983 COVID-19-related fatalities as of Dec. 26.

"The sober reality, on Christmas Eve, as I speak to you, 351 lives have been lost and families have been torn apart," Newsom said as the state hit 2 million cases. "Some encouraging signs in terms of it seems some stabilization in the rate of growth, but a sobering time with that 2 million figure and 351 lives lost to this deadly, deadly disease."

While 213,365 of those cases were among people 65 and older, roughly 1.2 million of those cases were of people between 18 and 49, according to the California Department of Public Health.

While the stay-at-home order was set to end Jan. 4, the governor has cautioned it is likely to be extended.

— Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez (@FitztheReporter)

lower waypoint
next waypoint