Santa Cruz County Gets Space For 100 More Coronavirus Patients

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — Santa Cruz County is making room for another 100 patients impacted by the new coronavirus.

The county is partnering with Simpkins Family Swim Center in Santa Cruz and 1440 Multiversity in Scotts Valley to prepare for a surge in COVID-19 patients and make more space in hospitals, the county announced Monday in a news release. 1440 Multiversity staff will also help prepare meals onsite to be delivered each day to vulnerable Santa Cruz County residents in shelters.

The county has previously announced plans to secure 90 hotel rooms for homeless patients.

The 100 bed spaces identified Monday by Santa Cruz County were part of some 20,000 beds to be set up at "alternative care sites" statewide, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced during a press conference Monday. The state found those spaces with the help of its local partners.

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There are already 75,000 beds across the 416 hospitals in California's health care system. Hospitals have been asked to surge their bed capacity by 40 percent and make way for another 30,000 additional beds, Newsom said.

"It's one thing to have the beds, it's another thing to have the personnel," Newsom said.

The state has a database of more than 80,000 workers prepared to pitch in and fight the pandemic.

The state still needs additional ventilators and protective gear for health care professionals, he said.

Full coronavirus coverage: California Coronavirus: Latest Updates On Cases, Orders, Closures