This warning comes less than one week before Thanksgiving and as Santa Clara County sees a record number of cases in a single day.
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"The choices that each of us make in the next two weeks may mean the difference between enough hospital capacity to care for all of us and our families and friends and not enough," Dr. Sara Cody said Friday during a virtual press conference.
RELATED: COVID-19 in California: Here's how coronavirus cases are trending in every county
Santa Clara County reported 407 total cases Friday, marking the most in the county to date. This comes as the state also shatters a single-day record with more 13,000 new cases of coronavirus.
"We are indeed at a critical juncture in this pandemic," Dr. Cody said.
VIDEO: Dr. Cody's warning as cases increase
Santa Clara Co. hospitals could be full in 3 weeks if current COVID-19 trend continues, Dr. Sara Cody warns
The health officer says hospitalizations increased by 50 percent in the last week -- and if the trend continues, hospital beds would be full in just three weeks.
RELATED: Gov. Newsom orders curfew for most California counties
She said this "sharp increase" in cases began in early November.
"What we do today is critically, critically important," Dr. Cody said.
She is urging residents to stay home for Thanksgiving and celebrate with your household.
"We all need to act now to bend the curve once again," she said.
VIDEO: South Bay leaders share concerns of COVID-19 spike
South Bay leaders share concerns of COVID-19 spike
"I am concerned for the well being of our community," said Citlalmina Ortiz, a community organizer. She's been advocating for her Latino community since the pandemic began.
It's a demographic that's been hit hard by the virus in Santa Clara County. And now she's even more worried over Dr. Sarah Cody new warning.
RELATED: COVID-19 vaccine: Leaders in hard-hit East San Jose seek priority for their community
Newly elected state assembly member from the South Bay Alex Lee, tweeted a plea, soon after Dr. Cody's announcement.
"My mom is a county nurse. For her health and everyone else's I'm begging you to stay home," the tweet said.
"It becomes incredibly scary to hear that we might run out of capacity where my mom works directly and if that becomes the case I do get increasingly worried," said Lee.
Editor's note: In the video above, Dr. Sara Cody initially said hospitals would be at capacity in two weeks. She later corrected that to three weeks
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