Newsom considers stay-at-home order amid surge

Henry Mayo reports another death related to COVID-19

As Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital reported an additional death and its highest COVID-19 patient count to date, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday raised the possibility of a statewide stay-at-home order in purple-tier counties if case counts continue to increase.

The hospital reported 52 patients with COVID-19 were hospitalized as of Monday, which is the highest number of patients hospitalized since the onset of the pandemic, according to Henry Mayo spokesman Patrick Moody, while the death reported by the hospital brings the death toll in the Santa Clarita Valley to 84.

Henry Mayo officials have said they are bracing for the surge, as they have seen an influx in patients within the past month.

“We have a pretty good capacity for beds and being able to expand; however, the requirement to staff those beds has increased exponentially,” Larry Kidd, chief clinical officer for Henry Mayo, said in a previous Signal interview.

Henry Mayo has a total of 368 hospital beds, 92 of which are in the main hospital building, according to the master plan and development agreement between the hospital and the city of Santa Clarita. As the number of COVID-19 patients increases, capacity for non-COVID patients is diminished.

In California’s health care system as a whole, 59% of the total number of hospital beds are currently occupied, with California Department of Public Health officials projecting that hospitals could reach 78% capacity by Christmas Eve.

This comes as Newsom announced during a COVID-19 update Monday that the state’s Public Health officials expect case numbers will continue to increase following the Thanksgiving holiday.

“If these trends continue, we’re going to have to take much more dramatic, arguably drastic, action, including taking a look at …. the potential for a stay-at-home order for those regions in purple,” Newsom said.

Currently, 51 out of California’s 58 counties, including L.A. County, are in the state’s

most restrictive purple tier.

As of Monday, California reported a seven-day average of 14,657 COVID-19 cases, which is much higher than the previous July peak period’s seven-day average of 9,881 cases.

“We don’t really have any choice but to use all the tools at hand to stop the surge until there’s a vaccine,” L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said. “Each of us needs to protect all of those around us — both those we know and those we don’t. The virus is running rampant through almost every part of our county, and our most sensible course of action is to make sure that everyone is always masked when they’re around any others outside of their household. Our choices matter, and following the rules that reduce virus transmission is really the only way back to slowing the spread.”

L.A. County Public Health officials also released the following updated COVID-19 statistics Monday:

Countywide COVID-19 cases reported in the past 24 hours: 5,150

Total COVID-19 cases in L. A. County: 400,919

New deaths related to COVID-19 reported in the past 24 hours: 17 Total COVID-19 deaths in L. A. County: 7,655

Hospitalizations countywide: 2,185, 24% of whom are in the ICU Hospitalizations at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital as of Nov. 30: 52, with 402 discharged since the onset of the pandemic

COVID-19 cases reported in the Santa Clarita Valley in the past 24 hours: 127 Total COVID-19 cases in the SCV: 9,757 Total COVID-19 deaths in the SCV: 84, including one death reported by Henry Mayo on Monday.

The number of SCV cases, including all area health care providers’ daily figures and those at Pitchess Detention Center, broken down into region, are as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 6,299 Unincorporated — Acton: 114 Unincorporated — Agua Dulce: 61 Unincorporated — Bouquet Canyon: 16 Unincorporated — Canyon Country: 234 Unincorporated — Castaic: 2,418 (majority of Castaic cases come from Pitchess Detention Center; exact number unavailable) Unincorporated — Lake Hughes: 10 Unincorporated — Newhall: 36 Unincorporated — Placerita Canyon: 0 Unincorporated — San Francisquito Canyon/ Bouquet Canyon: 3 Unincorporated — Sand Canyon: 7 Unincorporated — Saugus: 50 Unincorporated — Saugus/Canyon Country: 14

Unincorporated — Stevenson Ranch: 311

Unincorporated — Val Verde: 122 Unincorporated — Valencia: 65