California breaks multiple COVID records for 2nd consecutive day as hospitals prepare for vaccine's arrival
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KABC) -- For the second consecutive day, California on Saturday broke the state's record for new coronavirus cases, with 35,729 people testing positive, officials said.
According to the Department of Public Health, California also confirmed 12,444 hospitalizations and 225 deaths, both of which are also daily records.
Meanwhile, the San Joaquin Valley region's ICU capacity has dropped to 0.0%, the health department said in a statement. Southern California's intensive care unit capacity fell to 5.3%.
Both of those areas remain under the state's regional stay-at-home order, as does Greater Sacramento.
US says Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine to start arriving in states Monday
One data point that offered a glimmer of hope was the number of COVID-19 tests conducted in the 24-hour reporting period: an unprecedented 313,787, a news release said.
The nation's first COVID-19 vaccine will begin arriving in states Monday morning, U.S. officials said Saturday, after the government gave the final go-ahead to the shots needed to end an outbreak that has killed nearly 300,000 Americans.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
