As hospitals are slammed by waves of COVID-19 patients, the California National Guard is lending a hand. The Guard has dispatched medical help since the start of the pandemic, but the need is now greater, with hospitals reaching a breaking point from an unprecedented surge in coronavirus cases. State officials evaluate requests for help from hospitals, nursing homes and other medical facilities, determining where the need is greatest, Shiroma said. Gavin Newsom, requesting medical personnel from the Army National Guard as well as the return to Southern California of the Navy hospital ship USNS Mercy. AdvertisementDesouza-Van Blaricum said she knows why the National Guard needed to move on.

Source: Los Angeles Times December 31, 2020 03:00 UTC