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LA County health officials today reported 20,414 more COVID-19 cases and 207 deaths. Of those newly reported deaths, 40 still stem from the Christmas Day backlog, when a spectrum blackout delayed reporting.
The county also set another record for hospitalizations, with 7,613 Currently treated COVID-19 patients. To put that in context, that’s about 1,000 more people than last week. Among these patients, 21% are in intensive care.
At the same time, the state reported the most single-day coronavirus deaths to date: 585.
Cathy Chidester, director of the county’s emergency medical services agency, said this week that staff couldn’t keep up.
“It’s like the deer in the headlights. They are overwhelmed, they are pale. They are trying to do their best with limited resources at this point because there are so many patients. But trust me, it is. is a disaster. “
And that’s what she means by “disaster”: hospitals are so overwhelmed that ambulances wait seven or eight hours in emergency bays. Patients are therefore treated in the ambulance rather than in the hospital. And more importantly, Chidester says the delay means fewer ambulances to answer 911 calls and longer response times.
Health officials are very concerned about a wave of people gathering after the New Year despite repeated calls to skip the festivities this year. Such a surge could overwhelm a healthcare system that is already struggling to keep pace.
Chidester calls what is happening in hospitals now a “hidden disaster”.
“It’s not a fire. It’s not an earthquake,” she explained. “It’s not a train wreck that’s in public view and they can see what’s going on and they can avoid this area. Everything is happening behind the doors of households and hospitals, so no one is really – nor the general public – really sees what is going on. “
County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said she expected trends in record cases, hospitalizations and deaths to continue through January – and even beyond – unless the majority of us do change his behaviors.
The latest LA County figures have arrived as teams from the US Army Corps of Engineers prepare to help six Los Angeles area hospitals modernize their aging oxygen delivery systems.
A statement from the governor’s office says the volume of oxygen flow required to treat COVID-19 patients with respiratory problems exceeds older technologies at these facilities. The hospitals are:
- Adventist Health White Memorial Hospital in Los Angeles
- Beverly Community Hospital in Montebello
- Emanate Health Queen of the Valley Hospital in West Covina
- Lakewood Regional Medical Center
- Mission Community Hospital in Panorama City
- And PIH Health Hospital in Downey.
These evaluations could start as early as Saturday, January 2.
COUNTY NUMBERS OVERVIEW:
Here’s a look at the long-term trends in the county. To learn more, visit our California COVID-19 Tracking and choose LA County or any other California County that interests you. These figures are up to date as of Thursday, December 31:
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