Newsom Says California Is Bending Coronavirus Curve In The Right Direction — But It’s Also 'Stretching'

Updated 2:13 p.m.

Gov. Gavin Newsom says California’s latest coronavirus numbers are indicating that the state’s early efforts to shelter in place may be working.

“[The curve] is bending, but it’s also stretching,” Newsom said at a press conference Tuesday.

The numbers in California continue to increase, but not at the rate initially projected. The latest figures show 15,865 Californians have tested positive for coronavirus, representing about an 11% increase from Monday. There are 2,611 hospitalizations and 1,108 ICU patients, representing a 4% and 2% increase from Monday, respectively.

“These are not the double-digit increases we were seeing in hospitalization rates or ICU rates that we saw even a week ago,” Newsom said.

Newsom cautioned, however, that these numbers could go back up, adding that the latest figures “only reinforce the importance of maintaining physical distancing and continuing our stay-at-home policy.”

Newsom has stressed the importance of the hospitalization and ICU figures as an indicator of the outbreak’s severity, in the absence of widespread testing.

While the numbers offer some good news, models from the Newsom administration indicate the state will experience its surge of positive cases and hospitalizations in May. 

Newsom says the later surge enabled California to loan 500 ventilators to other states, including New York, New Jersey and Illinois. He says the state still needs to increase its own inventory of ventilators, but expects to get back the 500 loaned ventilators before California experiences its surge. 

On Monday, Newsom said California had procured thousands of ventilators in recent weeks, bringing its inventory to more than 11,000.

At Tuesday’s press conference, state Surgeon General Nadine Burke Harris announced newly developed guidelines developed by her office to help people with their physical and mental wellness during the outbreak.

The resources provide a “playbook” to avoid negative health impacts of isolation and stay-at-home orders, such as anxiety, stress and dietary habits. 

Meanwhile, Newsom says about 2.3 million Californians have filed unemployment claims with the state.