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California reaches out to retired healthcare workers as coronavirus hospitalisations double in four days

WION Web Team
New Delhi, IndiaEdited By: Bharat SharmaUpdated: Mar 31, 2020, 01:02 PM IST
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Photograph:(AFP)

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The state of California alone witnessed a 100 per cent increase in hospitalisations

The United States is currently grappling with the COVID-19 crisis. More than 3,000 people have died in the country due to the pandemic.

The state of California alone witnessed a 100 per cent increase in hospitalisations related to COVID-19, based on the figures provided by Gavin Newsom, the state governor.

Over the last four days, the number of coronavirus patients have doubled, while the number of Intesive Care Unit (ICU) patients have tripled.

Until yesterday, 1,421 people had been hospitalised. Four days “The number of patients requiring intensive care beds rose to 597 from 200”, he said. 

“Altogether, 5,763 people have tested positive for the disease in the state”, the governor added.

To tackle this sudden surge in demand, Newsom has reached out to retired doctors and nurses, alongside inducting students. He has set up a website for the same, and has been directing them to clinics and hospitals that are in dire need of expertise.

California will reactivate the medical licences of retired healthcare workers, while giving fresh licences to students.

“If you’re a nursing school student, a medical school student, we need you,” Newsom said. “If you’ve just retired in the last couple of years, we need you.”

California, as part of its “California Health Corps” is inducting more staff into the state medical machinery. Almost 50,000 more hospital beds have been sanctioned.

An additional executive order has been put into action. As per this, assistants can now perform some duties earlier limited to doctors.

(With inputs from agencies)