San Diego County reports record number of new COVID-19 cases – Los Angeles Times

San Diego County health officials on Friday reported 1,091 new coronavirus cases, a single-day record, with county hospitals hitting 76% of total capacity.

The surge puts hospitals near the 80% level that could require reductions in the number of elective procedures they can perform, according to Friday’s report. County officials have said that 20% of capacity should be preserved to provide a buffer for treating any sudden surge in COVID-19 cases.

Dr. Wilma Wooten, the county’s public health officer, plans to meet with hospital representatives on Monday to “discuss the potential for additional action,” according to a county spokesperson.

In addition, 73% of the county’s intensive care beds were filled, according to the report.

Some hospitals are already nearing capacity. At Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center, 90% of staffed beds are now occupied, about half of those by COVID-19 patients, officials said. Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista reported an 83% occupancy rate in its ICU, with nine of 20 beds occupied by COVID-19 patients.

Source: San Diego County reports record number of new COVID-19 cases – Los Angeles Times

Illinois logs 11,891 new coronavirus cases, additional 127 deaths – Chicago Sun-Times

Illinois has now logged nearly as many coronavirus cases over the first three weeks of November (about 228,300) than it did over the first seven months of the pandemic. Illinois has now logged nearly as many coronavirus cases over the first three weeks of November (about 228,300) than it did over the first seven months of the pandemic.

Source: Illinois logs 11,891 new coronavirus cases, additional 127 deaths – Chicago Sun-Times

Massachusetts Reports 2,991 New COVID Cases, 19 Additional Deaths – CBS Boston

BOSTON (CBS) — Health officials reported 2,991 new confirmed COVID cases and 19 additional deaths in Massachusetts on Saturday. Health officials said the total number of confirmed cases in the state is now 197,329 while the total number of deaths is 10,257. There are an estimated 37,328 active cases in Massachusetts. The seven-day weighted average of positive tests in Massachusetts is 3.21%. As of Saturday, there are 891 people currently hospitalized for a coronavirus-related illness, a decrease of 13 from Friday. There are 187 patients currently in intensive care. There were 109,239 total new tests reported Saturday.

Source: Massachusetts Reports 2,991 New COVID Cases, 19 Additional Deaths – CBS Boston

Mask mandate in Kansas helped slow the spread of COVID-19, CDC research finds | TheHill

While the CDC had already known that masks help reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus strain that causes COVID-19, the agency reported Friday that the 24 Kansas counties that complied with the July 2 executive order from Gov. Laura Kelly (D) had a net 6 percent decrease in the 7-day average of daily reported coronavirus infections by Aug. 23.

Meanwhile, the 81 counties that opted out of the mandate experienced a net 100 percent increase in the weekly average of cases, according to the CDC.

Source: Mask mandate in Kansas helped slow the spread of COVID-19, CDC research finds | TheHill

County Reports Another Record-High Number of COVID-19 Cases | News | San Diego County News Center

After more than a week of increasing COVID-19 cases in the region, the County Health and Human Services Agency is reporting another record-high number of novel coronavirus infections today. The County confirmed 1,091 new cases, surpassing the previous record of 1,087 cases reported last Saturday.

County health officials are attributing the sharp increase in cases to a general fatigue of the pandemic and are urging San Diegans to avoid gatherings and take COVID-19 seriously.

Source: County Reports Another Record-High Number of COVID-19 Cases | News | San Diego County News Center

San Antonio Conjunto Star Fighting COVID-19 | TPR

Flaco Jiménez and Max Baca. At this writing, Baca’s been in the ICU for a grueling 10 days. He says when he was admitted, his blood oxygen level was critically low. Healthy lungs keep blood at about 95%.

Max Baca: “I got here and my oxygen level was 70%. And so now due to the breathing exercises that they have me do and then they have the therapy and treatments have been able to breath 95, maybe 97 on my own.”

Source: San Antonio Conjunto Star Fighting COVID-19 | TPR

Coronavirus infection rate hits unprecedented levels in California and officials worry how bad it will get – Los Angeles Times

A sign on a Muni bus in San Francisco advises that passengers are required to wear masks. For the seven-day period that ended Friday, an average of 10,981 people in California were reported to be infected daily — a number that has more than doubled in just the last two weeks. That is even worse than the peak in the summer, which until now had been California’s worst spike of COVID-19, according to a Times data analysis.

For the first time, California has recorded three days in the last week where more than 13,000 new infections a day have been recorded.

Source: Coronavirus infection rate hits unprecedented levels in California and officials worry how bad it will get – Los Angeles Times