18,591 new cases

15,121 7-day avg

Not yet feeling effects of Thanksgiving, should anticipate a surge on top of this surge

6% positivity rate statewide

ICU rate up 67%

113 deaths per day

971 deaths in last 2 weeks

If we don’t act now deaths will increase

Pulling “Emergency Brake”

Regional Stay at Home Order https://covid19.ca.gov/stay-home-except-for-essential-needs/

• Regions where ICU falls below 15% remaining capacity reaches 15% - Stay at Home Order for 3 weeks
• SLO County is included in the “Southern California Region” so we will be subject to the Stay at Home Order (Likely beginning Dec 4 per SLO County Public Health)
  • The Regional Stay Home Order, announced December 3, will go into effect within 48 hours in regions with less than 15% ICU availability. It prohibits private gatherings of any size, closes sector operations except for critical infrastructure and retail, and requires 100% masking and physical distancing in all others.

Sectors that will be temporarily closed when a region is placed into the Stay-at-Home order:

• Bars
• Wineries
• Personal Services
• Hair Salons/Barber Shops

Sectors that will remain open:

• Schools with a waiver
• Critical infrastructure
• Retail (20% to reduce exposure)
• Restaurants (take-out and delivery only)

All non-essential travel is now restricted statewide

It’s important to stay active at this time for mental health

• Stay connected with loved ones virtually
• Get outdoors:
  • Go to a park
  • Go to the beach
  • Go on a hike
  • Go fishing
  • Do yoga
  • Meditate
  • Walk your dog
  • Do an outdoor fitness class
  • Go on a run with your partner
  • Go skiing, snowboarding, sledding

Hospital Capacity Statewide

11 surge facilities statewide are being readied to take patients

14,233 available ventilators in state inventory

6,996 ventilators still available in hospitals

Immediate Relief for Businesses (from Monday’s briefing)

• 99.6% of businesses qualify for sales tax extension
• Main street Hiring Tax Credit applications now open ($100M in available funds)
• 2,493 businesses have already applied
• $500M in COVID relief funds - $25k grants for small biz/nonprofits/cultural institutions https://business.ca.gov/
• CA Rebuilding Fund – Loans up to $100k with affordable and flexible terms  

Additional Business Relief to come:

• Waiving  or modifying fees for heavily impacted industries including bars, restaurants, hair salons, personal care services and more
• Accelerating additional infrastructure funding
• Bipartisan efforts at federal level working on it

Support for workers:

Housing:

Food Resources:

 

Vaccine Update:

Help in on the way – there is light at the end of the tunnel

Vaccines are now being distributed and more are being developed

More vaccines will start being distributed in December, January, February, March

• Phase 1A – Healthcare workers and long-term care residents
• 327k doses available and sub-prioritized into 3 tiers www.covid19.ca.gov
  • In 6 regions to start (didn’t name)

​

Vaccination Regions:

Tomorrow regions will be making orders directly to Pfizer 


Wildfire “Bond Fire” in Orange County at 6,600 acres, 0% contained, evacuation orders issued

Q&A

Travel guidelines

• Travel Advisory started before Thanksgiving
• Counties with Regional Stay-at-Home order will be asked not to travel (travel has been causing spread)
• Those who travel should quarantine per CDC guidelines – working to determine how to implement and are shortening suggested quarantine time

Enforcement 

• Overwhelming support for enforcement
• Some people still don’t believe the pandemic is real, even when they get it
• Protocol with County partners for Pandemic Relief $ - if a county defies orders or doesn’t enforce rules and use protocols, those funds will be redirected to counties that do

Mixing needs to stop

• Stay at home except for essential needs
• Go outdoors
• Reduce interactions