Story at a glance
- Hospitals in Southern and Central California are struggling to keep up with new COVID-19 cases.
- The state previously had more than 53,000 new cases in a single day.
California’s COVID-19 outbreak continues to worsen, with a grim new statistic revealing the 53,000 new confirmed infections diagnosed on Tuesday.
In a press briefing, Los Angeles County’s Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer described Southern California and the Central Valley region’s struggle to suppress the surge of COVID-19 hospitalizations, specifically adding that with the current death rate, two people are dying every hour in Los Angeles County.
“We’re experiencing an explosive and very deadly surge,” Ferrer said.
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The Golden State has been under siege as coronavirus transmission increases across the country during the winter season.
Earlier reports document the state government providing about 5,000 body bags to the embattled Southern California counties, along with 60 refrigerated trailers to serve as additional morgue space.
On the county level, 99.9 percent of all counties in California are experiencing what the state health department classifies as “widespread” risk levels, bringing the state total of confirmed infections to 1,723,362.
Some 379 new deaths have been recorded across the state as of Dec. 17.
In Los Angeles County specifically, the new case trajectory is increasing, with more than 21,000 new confirmed infections as of Dec. 16.
The effect of these statistics on hospitals is substantial, matching statewide trends of rising inpatient admissions and dwindling capacity.
“Hospitals are under siege and our models show no end in sight,” Christina Ghaly, Los Angeles County’s health services director said.
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