Household gatherings, Halloween are driving California coronavirus rates higher, Gov. Gavin Newsom says

As California’s COVID-19 numbers continue to climb, state officials say they’ve identified a common source of spread: Private household gatherings.

“People are letting their guard down,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said during a press conference on Monday.

The governor used the press conference to urge state residents to exercise caution, as the state faces a rising number of positive cases resulting from people increasingly mixing together as we enter the cold winter months.

“We’ve got to be careful. You’ve got to protect yourself and your loved ones,” Newsom said.

The coronavirus positivity rate has grown to 3.7% over a 14-day average, Newsom said during a Monday press conference, with 7,212 new cases reported on Sunday, up considerably from the seven-day average of 5,889.

Hospitalization rates have grown to 28.6% over a 14-day period, with ICU admissions increasing to 27.3%.

Dr. Mark Ghaly, California health and human services secretary, said information the state is receiving from contact tracers and local officials has also indicated places of worship and restaurants are sources of infections in some areas.

But more than anything else, he said, “they mentioned private household gatherings as a major source of spread.”

Though Newsom said the numbers were “obviously sobering,” he stressed that California is prepared for an uptick in cases, with plenty of masks and other protective equipment and space available in hospitals and ICUS. He said increased hospitalizations account for just 4% of the state’s healthcare capacity, with ICU admissions accounting for 11% of total beds.

With news of a potential new vaccine from Pfizer making headlines on Monday, Newsom sought to temper expectations. He said that health care workers and other front-line personnel were going to be first in line to receive what vaccines the state does receive, and there’s still the question of the vaccine’s efficacy and safety.

“This vaccine is not going to be readily available for mass distribution ... likely well into next year,” Newsom said.

California’s rising COVID-19 numbers likely will herald a step back for many counties in the state’s tiered reopening system.

Ghaly, who is set to announce the latest tier system update on Tuesday, suggested that no counties would advance in reopening, while some will fall back. Newsom said that update will be based on the facts on the ground, not political whims.

“This is exactly why we designed the tier status the way we did,” he said.

This story was originally published November 9, 2020 at 2:20 PM.