California COVID-19 hospitalizations double in four days -governor

California Governor Gavin Newsom said on Monday that the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the state had nearly doubled over the past four days and the number of ICU patients tripled during that time. By Monday, 1,421 California patients had been hospitalized with COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, up from 746 four days ago, Newsom said. The number of patients requiring intensive care beds rose to 597 from 200, he said. Altogether, 5,763 people have tested positive for the disease in the state, he said.

The rapid increase in the need for hospital and ICU care led Newsom to set up a website to connect retired doctors and nurses, as well as students, to hospitals and clinics that need them. The state will help retirees activate their licenses and students obtain licensing. "If you're a nursing school student, a medical school student, we need you," Newsom said. "If you’ve just retired in the last couple of years, we need you."