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The U.S. this week reported more deaths from COVID-19 than it has in any other week during the pandemic
It hit a new record of 21,752 as fatalities increased in every region of the country
It was the first time weekly deaths had climbed over 20,000
There were 3,500 deaths reported Saturday bringing the death toll to 372,428
Of Saturday s fatalities, 695 were reported in California
Los Angeles County is the worst hit with 40% of the deaths despite having only 25% of the state s population
The county reported 1,000 deaths in the last four days
Refrigerated trucks are now stationed around California hospitals to store bodies as morgues are overwhelmed
California issuing waivers to bypass strict nurse-to-patient ratio rules amid COVID surge
KABC
Share: Facing a massive surge in coronavirus cases, California has been issuing waivers allowing hospitals to temporarily bypass the nation s only strict nurse-to-patient ratios.
About 250 of some 400 hospitals across the state have been granted 60-day waivers, which allows ICU nurses to care for three instead of two people at a time and emergency room nurses to oversee six patients instead of three.
California is the only state in the U.S. to require specific nurse-to-patient ratios. The waivers will only temporarily bypass that law but nurses say the change is already starting to affect care.
That’s taking away a lot of time away from caring for patients.
“If we can take those nurses, those doctors who are already taxed, already stressed, and spend more of their time on providing care and simply postponing some of these requirements, lifting them for now until we’re over this peak, we will be able to maximize the care that can be provided to Californians,” said Coyle.
The other big problem is sending sick people to the right place, so they’re not flooding hospitals if they don’t need to be there.
And, transitioning patients out of hospitals to places like skilled nursing facilities so they don’t stay longer than needed.
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California is the only state in the country with legislation that defines strict nurse-to-patient ratios, but now the state is putting these ratios on hold as the number of new.