Coronavirus: California’s hospitals, economy and everyday life upended by spiralling number of cases
- Officials in the most populous US state rush to prepare for a further onslaught while dealing with a spike in confirmed infections
- ‘There is no projection in which a couple weeks from now we’re doing fine,’ says the mayor of Los Angeles
Coronavirus cases in California continue to surge, one week after the state’s residents were told to stay at home.
On Friday, the state confirmed 4,598 cases and 93 deaths, a staggering 41.8 per cent increase in the number of infections from the previous day.
“Things on the ground are anxious,” said Dr Peter Chin-Hong, professor of medicine and an infectious disease specialist at the University of California San Francisco. “Covid-19 is becoming very personal. Health providers are beginning to know people they are close to with the virus.”
Among the hardest-hit areas are Los Angeles, the second largest US city, which saw confirmed cases rise by more than half in just 24 hours, and Silicon Valley, the state’s economic powerhouse.
“Disturbingly, we see that if this rate of increase continues, in six days we will be where New York is today,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, whose city’s medical system has been overrun with coronavirus cases. “There is no projection in which a couple weeks from now we’re doing fine.”
His comments were seen as a response to US President Donald Trump, who has expressed his desire for the country to get back to work as soon as possible. He said this week that he hoped to lift restrictions as soon as Easter, on April 12 – a move widely condemned by health experts.
