SACRAMENTO, CA (KMJ) – Governor Gavin Newsom is allowing California hospitals to start scheduling essential surgeries again but did not outline a date to reopen the state.
On March 19, Gov. Newsom ordered the emergency ‘shelter in place’ for the state – it was open ended.
During the Governor’s daily update on Wednesday, Newsom specified that hospitals can start scheduling essential surgeries such as tumor removal, heart surgeries, heart valves and other non coronavirus medical procedures.
“CA will work with our hospitals and health systems to resume delayed medical care like tumor removals and key preventive care services–which were deferred to prep for the #COVID19 surge.
We’ll do this in a thoughtful and judicious way to ensure our system has the capacity,” Newsom tweeted.
https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom/status/1253039197222387712?s=19
Gov. Newsom said he has ordered autopsies back to December to find out how long COVID19 has been in the state.
New evidence shows that the first COVID-19 death took place not in the state of Washinington, but in California on February. 6, 2020.
Testing and contract tracing are part of the governor’s six criteria necessary to open the state.
Gov. Newsom announced 86 new testing sites in rural and underserved communities, and communities of color.
The Governor’s six criteria includes protecting the most vulnerable, making sure medical centers and staff are equipped are able to handle a surge – also important on the list – making sure business and schools can practice social distancing.
During his daily update on Wednesday, Gov. Newsom said California has 35,396 confirmed positive cases of #COVID19.
3,357 of those cases are in hospitals.
1,219 of those cases are in the ICU.
“CA is flattening the curve–but only if we continue to take this seriously. Stay home. And practice physical distancing, said Gov. Newsom on Twitter.
Click to listen to the report by KMJ’s Liz Kern:
