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SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – As 2021 approaches, San Francisco well being officers famous the stay-at-home order is beginning to affect new COVID-19 circumstances, however warned residents to keep away from New 12 months’s gatherings.
Public Well being Director Dr. Grant Colfax stated gatherings, like these at Thanksgiving attributed to fueling the present surge in circumstances, would end in 1000’s extra folks in metropolis hospitals and lots of extra deaths.
“I can not emphasize sufficient how catastrophic it will likely be if folks rejoice in ways in which we usually do for New 12 months’s Eve,” Colfax stated at Tuesday’s briefing.
“There may be extra virus on the market than ever earlier than. We merely can’t get away with issues you might have been capable of get away even with in prior surges. It’s one New 12 months’s Eve. I do know it’s been a tough yr. However the vaccine is on the way in which,” the general public well being director went on to say.
Hospitalizations proceed to stay at file highs, with nearly 200 folks at present within the hospital with COVID-19, almost double the quantity hospitalized in the course of the surge in circumstances over the summer season. Colfax anticipates the variety of hospitalizations to proceed to climb within the coming weeks.
The general public well being director stated there was some enchancment in some metrics since circumstances began climbing since Thanksgiving, which he attributed to implementing a stay-at-home order forward of the state in early December.
Common variety of new circumstances per day within the metropolis has dropped to 270 for the primary time since December 12, however Colfax confused that quantity remains to be a lot larger than earlier surges and that the total results of vacation gatherings might not be recognized till someday in January. The reproductive price, a measure on how a lot the virus is spreading, has dropped from 1.45 on December 5 all the way down to 1.13 on December 26.
Whereas the reproductive price has dropped, Colfax stated that the quantity must be beneath 1 to cease the virus from spreading.
“By staying residence and never gathering, we’ve been capable of forestall lots of of hospitalizations and save so many lives,” Colfax stated. “We now have finished it twice earlier than and I do know that we are able to do it once more.
Mayor London Breed echoed Colfax’s calls to remain at residence and thanked those that averted gatherings over the vacations.
“You might be saving lives and retaining your fellow San Franciscans secure,” Breed stated in a tweet. “It’s vital that we do the identical for New 12 months’s Eve. We will’t lose our progress by having one other surge.”
To everybody who has stayed residence and averted gatherings this vacation season, thanks. You might be saving lives and retaining your fellow San Franciscans secure.
It’s important that we do the identical for New 12 months’s Eve. We won’t lose our progress by having one other surge.
— London Breed (@LondonBreed) December 29, 2020
Colfax was additionally involved, significantly as journey at San Francisco Worldwide Airport and airports throughout the nation has risen to ranges not seen since earlier than the pandemic in the course of the vacation season.
“That is extraordinarily regarding and doesn’t bode nicely for January,” he stated.
Metropolis residents who journey outdoors of the Bay Space are being urged to self-quarantine for 10 days upon returning.
At Tuesday’s briefing, the ultimate considered one of 2020, Colfax expressed condolences to the 182 San Franciscans who died from COVID-19 this yr. He additionally thanked residents and people on the entrance strains for his or her efforts in beating again the virus, saying the previous few months have been “unimaginable only a yr in the past” following the primary outbreaks of the coronavirus.
“I wish to thank San Francisicans in your unbelievable efforts throughout these previous months,” he stated. “And I wish to specific my unbelievable gratitude to the medical suppliers and first responders and everybody who has been on the entrance strains of this pandemic this yr.”
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