LA County health officials warn of possible hospital bed shortage in the coming weeks as coronavirus cases surge in California
Lucy Nicholson/Reuters
Los Angeles County health officials warned of a potential hospital bed shortage amid the highest single-day rise in new infections reported in the county since the pandemic began.
Dr. Christina Ghaly, director for the LA County Department of Health Services, said the county is currently meeting the demand for hospital beds, but expressed concern that may not be the case in the coming weeks.
"In many cases, the people who will need these beds have already been exposed to COVID-19 because what's happening in our hospitals are reflective of what happened a few weeks ago in our communities," Ghaly said.
Out of 1,089,000 people who have been tested in Los Angeles County, 9% of tests yielded positive, the county health department said.
"I need to say to all of us, businesses and individuals across the county, at this point If you're not part of the solution to slowing the spread, you're ending up being part of the problem," Dr. Barbara Ferrer, LA County Public Health Director, said.
Los Angeles County health officials warned of a possible hospital bed shortage, as coronavirus cases surge in the county and California as a whole.
On Monday, California reported its highest single-day rise in new cases since the pandemic began with 2,903 new infections, bringing the county's total to nearly 100,800 confirmed cases. Daily hospitalizations increased by 27%, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a live broadcast. It's unclear if that refers to LA county or just the city.
"Whether we continue on this recovery journey is debatable," Garcetti said. "COVID-19 is taking control, and we need to take control back."
With the surge in cases, Dr. Christina Ghaly, director for the LA County Department of Health Services, said coronavirus hospitalizations are also on the rise, which leads to an increase in demand for hospital beds, KABC reported.
"We're meeting the demand right now for hospital beds, but if the predicted increase in new patients requiring hospitalizations materializes, the number of hospital beds could become inadequate in the next few weeks," Ghaly said.
"In many cases, the people who will need these beds have already been exposed to COVID-19 because what's happening in our hospitals are reflective of what happened a few weeks ago in our communities," she continued.
The rise in cases prompted local officials to close all public beaches, piers, public beach parking lots, and beach bike paths, as well as cancel fireworks displays for the Fourth of July weekend "to prevent dangerous crowding that results in the spread of deadly COVID-19," the health department said in a statement.
More than 1 million people have been tested for the coronavirus in Los Angeles County, according to a statement from the public health department. Out of 1,089,000 individuals, the county health department said 9% of tests yielded positive.
Local health officials projected one in 400 people were positive for the coronavirus and not self-quarantining, a figure which rose in likelihood to one in 140 individuals, according to Dr. Barbara Ferrer, LA County Public Health Director.
"I need to say to all of us, businesses and individuals across the county, at this point, if you're not part of the solution to slowing the spread, you're ending up being part of the problem," Ferrer said.
Read the original article on Insider
