California Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly gives an update on the state's response to COVID-19 and the wildfires burning across California.
"This is a difficult time. We knew wildfires would come and they are expected," Ghaly said. "This would come together but the reality of it is it's challenging for so many Californians."
He said there have been 110,000 tests in the last 24 hours and the state's positivity is 5.7 percent over 7 days and 6.3 percent over 14 days.
"Both of those numbers are down compared to what it had been 14 days, 28 days, two months ago, we have seen that number continuously trend down," Ghaly said.
California now has 673,095 confirmed cases of COVID-19, resulting in 12,257 deaths. The number of COVID-related deaths increased by 0.9 percent from Sunday's total of 12,152. The number of COVID-19 diagnostic test results in California reached a total of 10,762,506, an increase of 110,019 tests since Sunday. The rate of positive tests over the last 14 days is 6.3 percent.
Earlier this month. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a state of emergency due to the wildfires. There are more than a dozen major wildfires burning across the state and two major fires burning in the Bay Area.
Ghaly said there's been an intersection between COVID-19 and the wildfires adding questions like "what does it mean to operate a shelter with physical distancing?" need to be addressed.
"California over the last week has been hit by 650 wildfires across the state, many sparked by more than 12,000 lightning strikes recorded since Aug., 15. There are 14,000 firefighters. 2,400 engines and 95 aircraft battling the fires," an Associated Press story from Monday reports.
Ghaly said thousands of people, or 136,000 Californians, are under evacuation in many parts of the state and of those, 3,383 are living in shelters.
He said shelters have ample PPE and masks and distanced cots are placed at least six feet apart.
MASKS and WILDFIRES
Ghaly touched upon wearing masks amid wildfires.
"For covid-19 to continue your face coverings or surgical masks for those who are out near the fires and N95 masks may be the appropriate mask you may have to wear. For wildfires we know that face coverings are not sufficient, it does not protect around wildfire smoke and smoke inhalation. so our advice to those in the affected areas is to stay at home as much as you can. Keep your windows and doors shut."
EVACUATIONS
Ghaly reminded of the 136,000 evacuees across the state and just over 3,000 who are in shelters.
He said for those 133,000 evacuees who are out of their homes for the first time in months, they may be staying with friends or family.
He added if someone is staying with family or friends, try to wear a face-covering indoors while mixing with people you haven't seen in a while. "Wash your hands often."
WHAT IS CLOSED IN CA AGAIN?
Previously, Newsom has ordered the closure of fitness centers, houses of worship, hair salons and barbershops indoors, nail salons in those counties on the state monitoring list, which includes LA County, and other counties across the state. Newsom has also reminded what's closed statewide - indoor operations at dine-in restaurants, wineries, movie theaters, zoos, bars including outdoors - and what was closed in certain counties on the state monitoring list like gyms, shopping malls and places of worship.
Meanwhile, LA County, Orange County and Riverside counties decided to close their bars in early July and late June.