SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The surging omicron variant of COVID-19 has already forced the cancellation of New Year's events, overwhelmed testing systems and delayed returns to in-person learning from winter break for tens of thousands of university students in California.
It is now also contributing to a sharp spike in hospitalizations with the coronavirus, as the state rapidly approaches its peak from summer 2021.
The California Department of Public Health on Wednesday reported 8,032 COVID-positive patients were in hospital beds statewide Tuesday, more than double the 3,781 being treated 10 days earlier on Christmas. The state reported 1,390 in intensive care units, a 47% increase from 947 on Christmas.
At the height of the delta variant surge in late August, the hospitalized virus total peaked around 8,350 and ICU patients around 2,100. California's all-time records are about 22,000 hospitalized and 4,900 in intensive care, both reached in January 2021.
California also expanded on its record-high COVID-19 test positivity rate, increasing to 21.3% on Wednesday from 20.4% Tuesday, according to the California Department of Public Health. The state's per-capita case rate has increased to a seven-day average of 89 per 100,000, rapidly approaching the all-time record of 112 per 100,000 set in the winter 2020 surge.
Researchers have determined that a smaller proportion of omicron cases contract severe illness than with delta. But it is also far more contagious, as record-breaking caseloads across numerous U.S. states and other nations demonstrate, which health officials warn could outweigh the proportional decline in severity and threaten to overwhelm health care systems.
The California Department of Public Health is not reporting at the statewide level how many hospitalized patients were admitted specifically for COVID-19 compared to how many were admitted for other reasons and happened to test positive while hospitalized.
Estimates on that distinction appear to vary widely by health jurisdiction, and many local health offices do not routinely track that information.
One exception is Placer County, where health officials reported that about 84% of its hospitalized COVID-positive patients on Monday, and 95% of its COVID-positive ICU patients, were admitted specifically for the virus.
Sacramento State on Tuesday announced it will begin the first two weeks of its spring 2022 semester, Jan. 24 to Feb. 6, with most classes conducted virtually.
Cal State Los Angeles will hold classes remotely for three weeks, from Jan. 24 through Feb. 11.
The University of California, Davis in December announced it would begin the winter quarter with one week of remote instruction, planning to return next Monday. Six other UC campuses on the quarter system — UC Riverside, UC San Diego, UC Irvine, UC Santa Cruz, UCLA and UC Santa Barbara — announced a two-week delay, slating returns for Jan. 18.
UC Merced, which is on a semester system, will hold its first week of classes remotely from Jan. 18 to Jan. 22. UC Berkeley, also on the semester system, currently plans to return with in-person learning Jan. 18.
The CSU and UC systems have also required that students, staff and faculty members receive booster vaccine doses when eligible in order to remain on campus.
