With the alarming surge in coronavirus infections sweeping the state, California is working hard to staff hospitals and classrooms.

The Minister of Health and Human Services, Dr. Mark Gurry, said on Wednesday that even if hospital beds are crowded with patients and “some facilities will be in trouble,” the rapid spread of COVID-19 omicron variants is exposing or infecting health care workers. Marginalized.

Kiyomi Burchill of the California Hospital Association said that about 40% of hospitals are expected to face severe staff shortages, and some hospitals report that as many as a quarter of hospital staff are absent due to virus-related reasons.

The county’s director of emergency medical services, Dan Lynch, said that in Fresno County, more than 300 staff at district hospitals have either been quarantined due to exposure to the virus or are recovering.

According to the Los Angeles Daily News, the Los Angeles County Fire Department is using fire trucks instead of ambulances to transport patients to the hospital because 450 firefighters were absent after testing positive. Acting Assistant Commissioner Brian Bennett was on Tuesday. Tell Carson City Council.

Officials said that looking forward to the future, the county fire department will only answer medical calls when absolutely necessary.

McCormick Ambulance, a private company that signed a contract with the county, said in a statement: “The rapid spread of omicron has made our workforce disappear.”

California had the lowest per capita case rate in September in the United States, but like the rest of the country, it is now experiencing a sharp rise in omicron variants. The number of confirmed virus cases in the past two weeks has surged by nearly 500%, and the number of hospitalizations has doubled since Christmas to more than 8,000. The state model predicts that by the beginning of next month, the number of hospitalizations may exceed 20,000, a level almost as high as when California experienced its deadliest surge in January last year.

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The county’s deputy health director, Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, said that at least nine hospitals in Orange County have set up emergency tents to increase capacity when virus infections and other medical problems such as strokes increase.

People with mild symptoms should start with a virtual doctor visit, because “our hospitals, emergency rooms, and emergency care are already full, and they really need to focus on people who are really sick,” she said.

California has extended the use of its indoor masks to mid-February to help fight infections, but Ghaly said that no further restrictions were discussed, noting that there were basically no vaccines and COVID-19 treatments available a year ago.

Even if 6 million K-12 students return to the classroom, the virus still leaves school staff on the fringe.

The Sacramento City Unified School District reported that more than 500 students, faculty and staff were quarantined after testing positive for COVID-19.

At the same time, Governor Gavin Newsom and state officials are facing criticism for failing to deliver on their promise to provide all California students, faculty and staff with fast, at-home tests before reopening classrooms after the winter break.

Millions of test kits were delivered to homes, but there were still millions not delivered, and there was a long queue at test sites in Los Angeles County this week.

On Wednesday, California school principal Tony Thurmond called the delay “disappointing.”

Gary said that Southern California’s logistical problems and severe weather have caused the problem, but he said that approximately 6.2 million tests have been provided to the county education office, and more tests will be conducted this week.