SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Hospitals are filling up so fast in California that officials are rolling out mobile field facilities and scrambling to hire more doctors and nurses to prepare for an expected surge in coronavirus patients. Meanwhile the state 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. Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday that the number of average daily deaths has quadrupled from a month ago. The escalating crisis might not abate for two months despite the arrival of the first doses of vaccines this week. In the Northern Region of the state, which includes Shasta County, 29.8% of ICU beds are currently available. Redding hospitals say that they have the capacity to expand ICU capability far beyond what the state considers.
Over 600 new cases were reported in Butte County for a total of 5,574. There have been 67 deaths.
Tehama County has had 2,557 cases and 31 deaths.
Trinity County reported a 2nd death among 235 cases.
There have been 967 in Siskiyou County and now 8 deaths.
Glenn County has had 1,200 cases and 12 deaths.
Humboldt County has had 1,321 cases and 13 deaths.
Lassen County has now had 5 deaths among their 1002 cases in the community and one death among the 2,582 cases in prison.
Modoc County has reached 260 cases.