California sets records for cases, deaths as virus surges

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two people are dying of COVID-19 every hour in California's most populous county as the state set daily records for newly reported cases and deaths and hospitals struggle to to keep up with the surge of coronavirus patients.

Most California residents are under a stay-at-home order because of dwindling intensive care unit capacity where they live. Los Angeles County, home to 10 million people, has 2,500 ICU beds but within a month could easily need far more, said Dr. Christina Ghaly, the county’s health services director.

“Hospitals are under siege and our models show no end in sight,” she said.

Southern California and the Central Valley — regions that together include 23 counties — had exhausted their regular supply of intensive care beds and many medical centers were tapping into their “surge” capacity.

California is averaging more than 35,000 newly reported coronavirus cases a day. Health officials estimate 12% of them — 4,200 — end up in hospitals. Records were set Wednesday, with 53,711 new cases and 293 deaths statewide.

The massive rise in infections began in October and is being blamed largely on people ignoring safety measures and socializing with others. More recently, health officials said they’ve seen cases stemming from gatherings during the Thanksgiving holiday and have pleaded with residents to avoid getting together with people from other households over Christmas and New Year’s.

Health officials in Southern California's Orange County on Wednesday issued an order preventing hospitals from diverting ambulances to other medical centers. Dr. Carl Schultz with the county's Health Care Agency said ambulances could have run out hospitals to take their patients.

“Therefore, we temporarily suspended ambulance...