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About 900 bodies are currently being held at the Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s Coroner’s Office, which typically has a capacity of 500, according to spokeswoman Sarah Ardalani. She estimates that around 150 of the bodies are overflowing local hospitals that are running out of space.
Since the initial outbreak of Covid-19 last spring, a dozen cold storage units have been on site downtown. A dozen more trailers will be in place by next week, along with six refrigerated containers, Ardalani told CNN.
Members of the National Guard have helped the coroner’s office transport and store the bodies, but that is not enough. Ardalani said the office was working with the state to provide more assistance.
The number of available intensive care beds also fell to the lowest level on record, according to data from the California Department of Public Health. This despite indications that hospitalizations are starting to stabilize in the state.
There are currently 1,094 intensive care beds available for California’s 40 million people. More than 22,000 people are hospitalized with the virus, and nearly 5,000 of them are in intensive care units.
However, the positivity rate in California maintains a downward trend seen in recent days and currently stands at 13.4%, down from 14% last Friday, which marked the highest level seen since widespread testing began.
About 90% of the state’s residents are still under order to stay at home, as projections show that intensive care unit capacity and other factors will remain at critical levels for at least the next four weeks.
But there is hope.
Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium, which used to be a test site, will now become a mass vaccination center. Vaccine administration at the stadium is expected to begin on Friday, with the capacity to vaccinate around 12,000 people per day when everything is fully operational, according to the website of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.
“Vaccines are the surest way to beat this virus and to lead a cure, so the city, county and our entire team are putting our best resources on the ground to get Angelenos vaccinated so quickly, safely. safely and efficiently as possible. ” Garcetti said.
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