'Tridemic' Threatening Local Hospital Capacity
By
Thadeus Greenson
on
December 1, 2022 at 4:38PM
During a press briefing before Thanksgiving, California Health and Human Services Secretary Mark Ghaly warned that COVID transmission was increasing throughout the state, noting that a hospital in San Diego had begun using an overflow tent to treat patients outside amid a surge in flu cases. The surge has grown so severe in some areas, like Fresno, Madera and Tulare counties, that officials instituted a "assess and refer" policy, giving first responders the authority to decide whether a patient is transported to the hospital as officials urge residents to avoid calling an ambulance unless experiencing a "life or limb-threatening emergency."