SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KRON) — California is bracing for a surge of coronavirus patients to fill hospitals across the state.
Governor Newsom’s administration is now projecting more than half of California’s population will likely have the virus over an eight week period.
Newsom is urging President Trump to immediately deploy a floating hospital to California to help the state’s potential rush of coronavirus cases.
In his letter sent Thursday to the president, the governor warned the state projects 56% of California’s population will be infected with the virus within a two month period — that’s 25.5 million people.
Newsom, formally requesting to have U.S. Navy ship Mercy docked in Los Angeles to ease overcapacity of hospitals, providing 1000 extra beds. Newsom explained the need in a recent Facebook live.
“Mercy cannot come up within a day or two, we’re told it would be at least five days to get it operational and to move that ship, so one should not over promise on the east coast or west coast how quickly you can get those hospitals up,” he said.
The governor this week also said he’s calling on the federal government to help provide two mobile hospitals to provide 496 extra beds each.
California has about 90,000 beds in hospitals across the state, but could need up to 20,000 more depending on the size of the surge of patients.
The governor requesting to have Mercy docked until Sept. 1.
The governor said on Friday he will also announce two large hospitals, one in Northern California, the other in Southern California.
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