California issues health order with goal of increasing hospital capacity

HUMBOLDT COUNTY, Calif. (KIEM) — The California Department of Public Health issued a health order earlier this week that aims to increase hospital capacity and maintain quality of care in areas facing a Covid-19 surge. 

The order is two-fold. First, it calls for the immediate cancellation of elective surgeries if a county is under a regional stay at home order, the region’s ICU capacity is at 0% or the county’s ICU capacity is under 10%. Right now, it does not apply to Humboldt County.

Second, it allows for the transfer of patients within counties, regions, and the state as a whole. This includes in and out of Humboldt, but in a press release, County Health Officer Dr. Ian Hoffman explained that the goal is to free up space in affected areas not move patients from one end of the state to the other.

To read the full health order, you can visit https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/Order-of-the-State-Public-Health-Officer-Hospital-Surge_1-5-2021.aspx

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