Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday the state has dispatched a support team to Los Angeles County to help with managing overflow conditions at hospitals as COVID-19 continues to run rampant in the area.
He says 96% of hospitals in the county were diverting emergency patients at some point over the weekend due to overcrowding in emergency rooms, adding hospitals on average were on diversion for 16 hours a day unable to find room for new emergency patients.
Los Angeles County officials say hospitals are reaching the point where there may not be available room or staffing for those diverted ambulances to go. Some hospitals are putting patients in conference rooms or gift shops when there s no other space available.