Ambulance workers in Los Angeles County have reportedly been told not to transport “low-survival” patients to local hospitals as intensive care units are inundated with COVID patients.
The Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency guideline, obtained by CNN, also tells ambulance workers to “conserve oxygen use.”
In Los Angeles, many intensive care units are in a position as a disastrous wave of virus bursts across Southern California.
According to data from the county, more than 6,000 patients are currently being treated for the coronavirus in Los Angeles. Available hospital beds in most ICUs were virtually non-existent.
Because of these factors, paramedics were told to “perform a minimum of 20 minutes of CPR” if a patient’s heart has stopped instead of taking them to a hospital.
In addition, California Governor Gavin Newsom formed a task force Monday to “evaluate and upgrade legacy oxygen delivery systems” in six hospitals in the Los Angeles area.