California has become the epicenter of the current coronavirus surge in the United States.
As of Sunday, January 10, the state had 22,513 patients in the hospital being treated for Covid-19. Hospitals have been overwhelmed and morgues are beginning to overflow, especially in Southern California.
The coronavirus has claimed more than 30,000 lives in California since the pandemic began. More than 2.6 million people have been infected.
"If we continue to see an alarming increase of Covid-19 patient admissions at hospitals statewide, some facilities may not be able to provide the critical and necessary care Californians need, whether those patients have Covid-19 or another medical condition," said Dr. Tomás J. Aragón, California Department of Public Health director and state public health officer.