California virus surge brings body bags, makeshift morgues

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California is distributing 5,000 body bags mostly to the hard-hit Los Angeles and San Diego areas and has 60 refrigerated trailers standing by as makeshift morgues in anticipation of a surge of coronavirus deaths from hospitalizations that now are double the summertime peak and threaten to overwhelm the hospital system, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday.

The number of average daily deaths has quadrupled from 41 a month ago to 163 now, while positive cases have surged to more than 32,500 each day. Of those new cases, an anticipated 12% will wind up in the hospital and 12% of those hospitalized will crowd already stretched intensive care units.

That means one day's worth of cases can be expected to produce a staggering 3,900 hospitalizations and nearly 500 ICU patients.

“We are in the middle of the most acute peak,” Newsom said, urging residents to take precautions to slow the spread.

In Southern California’s Orange County, health officials said mobile field hospitals would be rolled out to three hospitals that already need more space. The large, heavy-duty, temperature-controlled canvas tents with hard flooring add an extra 125 beds.

Dr. Clayton Chau, the county’s public health officer. told the county’s Board of Supervisors that “emergency rooms have no capacity to triage people as quick as they can." He pleaded with residents to avoid gathering with people from outside their households.

“I have never been so afraid of Christmas and New Year’s in my life,” Chau said. “I can’t imagine what it would be like after the holidays if people are not listening.”

At the meeting where Chau spoke, dozens of residents didn't wear masks and demanded businesses be allowed to reopen.

To the north, Santa Barbara County Public Health...