Thread by @nithyavraman

I know that we’re all looking for hope as we enter this new year. So it pains me to reach out to you today with a dire message: LA is at an extremely dangerous inflection point. (thread)

ICU capacity in hospitals remains at zero. Growth in new COVID cases and hospitalizations has slowed. But any further gatherings threaten to undo our mild progress and overwhelm our systems of care in the new year.
latimes.com/california/sto…

Hospitals serving lower-income, densely populated and nonwhite communities are getting hit the hardest.

Ambulances are being turned away. Gift shops and conference rooms are being converted into patient care areas. There are shortages of available oxygen.
latimes.com/california/sto…

The Stay at Home order imposed by CA a little over three weeks ago appears to have slowed the growth of new cases and hospitalizations.

But an uptick in travel and gatherings over the New Year has epidemiologists worried that any progress will quickly be wiped away in January.

On Tuesday, our Stay at Home order was extended, including our curfew from 10pm to 5am. And LA now mandates a 10-day quarantine for visitors.

Unions for teachers, nurses, grocery and hotel workers, meanwhile, have called for a stricter shutdown.
latimes.com/california/sto…

Many Angelenos have expressed confusion that retail stores and malls remain open while people are urged to stay at home for all but essential activities.

This confusion is justified, and images of packed malls in LA during this moment of crisis are especially disturbing.

We're working to learn more about the existing shutdown and how we can best protect Angelenos going forward.

But with so much misinformation and so much pushback on even these orders, it's vital that local leaders remain on the same page on policy that could save or cost lives.

In every scenario, we are looking at a very dark January.

But whether it is difficult or catastrophic depends in part on us.

December’s surge was tied to gatherings over the Thanksgiving holiday.

More gatherings over the New Year threatens to overwhelm our hospitals.

If that happens, the situation will quickly deteriorate. Care will be rationed and more people will die.

The phrase “Stay at Home” has been repeated so many times over so many months, there is a danger that we no longer internalize its meaning.

But now more than ever -- for the sake of our friends, family, and community -- we must take it to heart.

Even if you believe you are not at serious risk, do this for your fellow Angelenos who are. For those who are elderly or have pre-existing conditions. For workers who, deprived of government support to stay home, are far more likely to get sick.

If you know of a business that is flouting regulations, you can report it to the city here: complaint.lacity.org/Complaint/covi…

If you observe a large gathering tonight, you can call the LAPD’s non-emergency number at 877-ASK-LAPD.

This year has placed a huge strain on us. More weeks without in-person companionship is hard to face.

But if we can reduce our case numbers in the upcoming weeks, we can avoid unprecedented suffering and buy ourselves precious time until the widespread delivery of a vaccine.