LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County’s Public Health officer on Friday offered an update on the governor’s new stay home order and the impact it could have in the days and weeks to come as the county’s COVID-19 caseload and hospitalizations continue to rise.

Due to the rapidly increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the region and statewide, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday issued new “stay home orders” that will take effect when the intensive care unit bed availability in the region goes below 15 percent, along with restrictions on nonessential travel, as Lake County News has reported.

Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace said Friday that the governor’s orders are not yet in effect in Lake County, but the projections are that they will begin sometime in the next few weeks.

On Friday, Lake County Public Health reported 1,022 confirmed cases in the county, with a total of 21 deaths related to the coronavirus so far.

“The number of cases is rising dramatically, as are the number of people hospitalized with COVID-related symptoms,” Pace said. “Given the way hospitals work in rural areas, our two hospitals operate as a part of a larger regional network. So, when looking at hospital capacity, it is important to evaluate the bed availability in the larger region.”

Pace said 13 Lake County residents were hospitalized as of Thursday with a positive COVID-19 status, with 11 of them are in out-of-county facilities.

Since the trigger for these new restrictions is ICU bed availability, the state is evaluating regional bed capacity on a daily basis, he said.

Lake County is part of the Northern California region, which also includes Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama and Trinity counties.

Pace said the current projections are that the Northern California region will likely cross this 85-percent ICU threshold within the next few weeks.

As of Thursday, 78 percent of Lake County’s ICU beds were filled, with 76 percent filled in the Northern California region, Pace said.

The state and the local Public Health team will be checking those numbers daily, and when they “flip the switch,” Pace said the county will have 24 hours to comply with the stay home order.

“The thinking is that the number of ICU beds is limited, and when they start getting filled up, there can be problems in getting necessary care, and the number of deaths can rise,” Pace said. “The best way to try to prevent this is to add more restrictions that can limit interaction with people outside of your household, so we have less virus transmission.”

Pace said approximately 12 percent of the cases end up in the hospital within a few weeks. “Some of these people will end up in the ICU, and a week or two later, we tend to see an increase in deaths. The state’s strategy here is to try to add the restrictions a few weeks before these tragic outcomes.”

He said 85 percent of the ICU beds being filled is the state’s trigger to bring on the strongest intervention in time to try to prevent “this severe situation.”

The new restrictions will be similar to what Californians had to do in the spring, with some improvements, Pace said.

He said the restrictions include the following:

– Nonessential gatherings are not permitted.
– People should stay at home except for necessary activities.
– Gatherings for worship and political expression are permitted outdoors.
– Restaurants, food pickup and delivery only.
– Schools may continue as they are in the purple tier.
– Retail establishments can operate at 20 percent capacity with metering at the door. The "essential" and "nonessential" distinction is not being applied to stores.
– Outdoor recreation can continue, with precautions.
– Lodging is not permitted for recreational travel. People traveling out of the area should self-quarantine for 14 days upon return.

“The next few months will be tough, but we should begin to start going back to a more normal life in spring and summer,” Pace said. “Now is the really important time to take the strongest precautions against the virus, even before the ‘stay at home order’ goes into effect. Stay home whenever possible, cancel travel plans, go out only when necessary.”

Pace urged people to continue exercising and going outside, as indoor gyms and exercise classes are not currently permitted.

He said another closure of Clear Lake – such as was implemented in the spring – is not anticipated, but he urges people to be safe when outside, wearing masks and keeping distant from people not from your household.

“Protect the vulnerable people in your home. Get the vaccine when it is available. We will be through this in a few months, so please take care of your family and friends by being very cautious in the coming months,” Pace said.