Nobody really wanted to talk about it Monday, but with hospitalizations projected to hit 100,000 statewide by the end of the month, leaders reluctantly acknowledged Monday that they are ready to begin rationing care if necessary.
Asked during a news conference whether plans were in place for the day when all capacity is used up and no more surge maneuvers are possible, Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of health and human services for California, noted that the state published “crisis care guidelines” in June.
They lay out in significant detail how every hospital in the state should go about deciding who lives and who dies in situations where resources can no longer meet demand.