SF General Hospital has 0 COVID-19 hospitalizations for 1st time in more than year

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Doctors in San Francisco say that Thursday was a monumental one in the fight against COVID-19. It's the first time in 14 months that Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, one of the largest hospitals in the city, has zero COVID-19 hospitalization cases.

"I did have tears in my eyes!" said Dr. Monica Gandhi of San Francisco General Hospital. Gandhi is referring to her reaction when she saw updated numbers that General now has no COVID-19 hospitalizations.

"It feels like a milestone, there are zero admissions at San Francisco General," says Gandhi.

RELATED: San Francisco loosens dozens of COVID-19 restrictions, prepares for full reopening

The news come just four to five months after what was a very challenging time in the fight against COVID-19.

"I think December and January were our busiest time, when we were facing a third wave of cases, we were extremely busy here in the hospital," says Dr. Vivek Jain, who is the co-director of infection control at SF General. Jain says the huge acceptance of vaccines among San Francisco residents, where 76% of the population has received at least one shot, has helped lead to lower COVID-19 rates citywide and that is reflected at SFGH.

"All my friends have been vaccinated already! Finally feeling good and hopeful," says Sam Pena, who lives in San Francisco.

UCSF representatives tell us they currently have five patients being hospitalized for COVID-19 within their hospitals. Stanford says they also currently have five hospitalized with COVID-19.

San Francisco General had one to two COVID-19 patients over the course of the last several weeks -- and now this.

"Today is just a numeric milestone but I think it's a moment that we can reflect on the progress and commit to making even more progress," says Dr. Jain.

"We are at that point where this is no longer a public health emergency, when you have this many people vaccinated, where you have such few cases and no one sick from this in our hospital... it is just amazing," said Gandhi.

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