ICU Capacity Drops To Zero Percent In Southern California

Intensive care units across Southern California have dropped to zero percent capacity as Covid-19 cases continue to rise in numbers.

Southern California, a place known for its incredible weather and top tier scenery, has become a haven for the ever-growing coronavirus. NBC reports ICU capacity has dropped down to zero percent in the area as of Thursday. 

On Thursday, the state released several ICU figures by region, which showed the situation that is quickly turning into a crisis with each passing day. The outlet reports that more than 16,000 patients are hospitalized with Covid-19 in California, triple the amount it was last month. 

The areas within the Southern California region are Imperial, Inyo, Los Angeles, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties. 

The good news is that the zero percentage doesn’t necessarily mean that there are no ICU beds in the Southern California region. The state will change the percentage toward if counties have an overwhelming ratio of Covid-19 patients that are taking up ICU spaces, NBC Los Angeles reports. The number will fluctuate as new patients are admitted or stabilized and no longer need hospital care. The figure declined on Wednesday, and more than 50 percent of the state’s ICU capacity is filled with Covid-19 patients, according to the state’s most recent figures. 

The state of California is seeking more than 35,000 new cases a day. According to health officials, NBC Los Angeles reports that about 12 percent of them will go to hospitals.