Photo by Pedro Marroquin on Unsplash
According to the Los Angeles County Director of Health Services Dr. Christina Ghaly, 1 in 80 people are now infected with Covid-19 in Los Angeles County.
It has been nearly 9 months since Governor Newsom issued the nation's first lockdown, and things do not seem to be getting any better.
At the time, Governor Newsom said,
“I don’t believe the people of California need to be told through law enforcement that it’s appropriate just to home-isolate, protect themselves,” Newsom said. “We are confident that the people of the state of California will abide by it and do the right thing.”
However, Dr. Ghaly does not seem to agree with Governor Newsom’s initial assessment.
“It does not seem that enough people heard the plea to stay home and not gather.” As a result, she said, “We will have an increase in deaths in the weeks to come.”
Where we Are Now
Things have gotten so bad that the state has ordered 5,000 body bags and 60 53-foot-long refrigerated storage units, which will be used as overflow morgues—all as part of the “mass fatality” program.
With the Covid-19 vaccine on the horizon, Governor Newsom urges both optimism and caution:
“There is light at the end of the tunnel, but we’re still in the tunnel,” Newsom said. “And that means we’re going through perhaps the most intense and urgent moment since the beginning of this pandemic.”
What Will Happen Next?
The optimist in me wants to believe that the end of this pandemic is near. I want to believe that people will all pitch in and do their part to stop this most recent surge.
Unfortunately, the realist in me feels the complete opposite. It has been nearly 9 months since the first California lockdown, and things have somehow gotten worse. If the calls for mask-wearing and social distancing haven’t been effective yet, I doubt things will change.
I hope I am wrong, though.
Comments / 6