LOS ANGELES -- A temporary morgue space was set up Friday near Los Angeles County coroner's office to help store bodies as COVID-19 continues to run rampant in the region.
Bodies were moved into temporary storage trailers on Friday morning that were put in place at the start of the pandemic. The county Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner said they're preparing to add a new temporary morgue next week.
The department explained the steps taken in preparation for a potential overwhelmed mortuary system.
"Early on in the pandemic, the DMEC took steps and developed plans to add to our facility's body storage capacity. Refrigerated storage additions were installed in the beginning of April. During normal operations, DMEC can store up to 500 bodies. With the additions, we can further hold 1500 bodies for a total of 2000," the department said.