Air Force Deploys Medical Teams To 2 LA Hospitals
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – Federal medical teams have been deployed to two major Los Angeles area hospitals to assist with the surge in coronavirus patients.
The U.S. Air Force Friday deployed teams to both the Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center and the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.
They are among eight teams which have been deployed statewide, according to Dr. Mark Ghaly, California Health and Human Services secretary.
"We looked across the state," Ghaly said Friday. "L.A. County -- with big hospitals, important centers where we see disease transmission high, concern to make sure the hospitals in that important center are supported -- received two out of eight of the teams. Sort of a proportionate share, if you will, across the state. But remember some of the other teams went to the northern parts, even rural parts of the state, to make sure that the hospitals are supported.
"We'll continue to work with our federal partners to ensure that staff can be moved to strategic places throughout the state when necessary."
A military spokesperson told the LAist last week that about 40 doctors and nurses were being sent to the two L.A. hospitals.
There have been 173,995 confirmed coronavirus cases in L.A. County and 4,360 deaths from the disease.
At least 2,033 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Sunday, 31% of which were in ICU beds.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
