SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – The holidays may be over, but the consequences could still come for weeks.
COVID-19 cases continue to increase and ICU beds are declining in the Greater Sacramento region. Data released by the state reflects the number of beds in the area, making it impossible for the area to leave the home stay order after three weeks.
“We’re just glad we’re still here,” said Edward Roehr, one of Magpie’s owners in downtown Sacramento.
Roehr is grateful that the restaurant is still standing, thanks to creative adjustments and support from regular people. The restaurant is one of the many affected by the shutdown, and can only serve a takeaway meal.
“For us, we do 20% of what we are supposed to do,” Roehr said.
Even though he feels that loss of sales cannot be compared to a loss of life.
“Doing what is safe is going to be the most important thing,” he said.
Deaths, hospitalizations and COVID cases have climbed in California over the past few weeks. Currently, ICUs in the Greater Sacramento region are 93% full, forcing the area to remain closed.
“Will we ever be normal again?” asks Mark Shepherd of Sacramento. “That’s the question.”
The answer – ‘normal’ will probably be months away, but it may be quicker to get home delivery. To do this, the state relies on an area’s ICU capacity projections over a period of four weeks to make their decision.
Their projections are based on four key pieces: the current local ICU capacity of an area, the transfer of the community, the number of cases and the number of ICU surveys.
A region may exit the order if the four-week projections reflect an ICU capacity of 15% or more.
“It’s pretty clear we’re not doing anything,” said Ron Stark.
More from CBS Sacramento:
Stark said he feels frustrated and worried things are going to get worse now that the holiday season is over.
The space in the ICU is already scarce with little room to grow. People like Shepherd plead for the public to listen to health officials and follow protocols.
“I think everyone feels ‘Well, I did not catch the virus, I’m not going to catch it,'” he said.
To give an idea of how fast ICU capacity in the area has shrunk, the Greater Sacramento region had 11% of their ICU beds on Friday, and only 7% remained on Saturday.