Bay Area ICU capacity drops below 1%, state plans to open mass vaccination sites

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KION)

UPDATE 1/11/2021 1 p.m. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced in a COVID-19 update Monday that the Bay Area region's ICU capacity has dropped to its lowest point as it begins new vaccination efforts.

According to Newsom, ICU capacity is recorded at 0.7% in the Bay Area region, which includes Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties. The stay at home order for the region was extended because ICU capacity is still below 15%.

Newsom also shared vaccination efforts. The state's goal is to administer 1 million more vaccines by this weekend, and it is allowing for more flexibility with administration. To avoid waste, Newsom said vaccines can be administered to people in lower tiers if it is at risk of going to waste.

The state is also planning to open large vaccination sites this week at Dodgers Stadium, Padres Stadium and CalExpo.

PREVIOUS STORYGov. Gavin Newsom is providing an update on the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic at noon Monday.

The state has now topped 30,000 COVID-19 related deaths since the pandemic began and reported a two-day record over the weekend.