“LA County reached the terrible milestone of more than 11,000 deaths due to Covid-19,” Los Angeles County DPH Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said in a statement urging all residents to stay home and follow public health orders. “As a community, we must commit to stopping the spread of Covid-19 so that we can save as many lives as possible.”
The pandemic has devastated much of the state. On Tuesday, the state reported 368 new coronavirus deaths, bringing the number of lives lost in the state to 27,000 since the start of the pandemic. About 2.45 million have been infected.
The increase in cases has placed California at the epicenter of the nation’s fight against coronavirus.
The number of people hospitalized with the virus in the state has reached a negative record, with more than 22,000 people receiving hospitalized treatment on Tuesday, according to the state. About 21% of these patients are in intensive care units.
In Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley, ICUs have reached their capacity. Hoping to ease the tension so that patients can continue to receive care, the state has ordered hospitals with 10% or less ICU capacity in these regions to delay non-essential surgeries and not endanger them. life.
“If we continue to see an alarming increase in the admissions of COVID-19 patients to hospitals across the state, some facilities may not be able to provide the critical and necessary care that Californians need, whether those patients have COVID. -19 or another medical condition, “Dr. Tomás J. Aragón, director of the California Department of Public Health and state public health officer.
Despite the intensity of the fight against the virus, only 27% of the vaccines distributed have turned it into the arms of Californians.
“Everyone is striving to get as many vaccinators as possible, while all staff members are needed to help with the increase,” Ferrer said.
In Mendocino County, northern California, a broken freezer holding the Modern vaccine forced Adventist Health Ukiah Valley Medical Center officials to administer the 830 doses in two hours.
“The reality is that we were presented with a difficult situation and we would not miss any vaccine,” hospital general manager Judson Howe told CNN.
But vaccines are only part of the solution to the coronavirus crisis in California, Ferrer said.
“While vaccines are a powerful tool, there is no need to wait for vaccines to stop new cases of COVID-19, hospitalizations and deaths. We can do it now,” Ferrer said in a statement. “All businesses and all residents must intentionally comply with public health guidelines and safety measures. Please stay home and leave only for work or essential services.”
CNN’s Sarah Moon, Stella Chan and Cheri Mossburg contributed to this report.