Fear is high and emotions are up and down as Los Angeles County has been fighting a brutal battle against Covid-19 for weeks now. 

New infections have soared with about one in five residents who get tested for Covid-19 receiving positive results. That is the highest rate in the country. And it’s increasing daily. 

In a little more than a month, the county doubled its number of infections, climbing from about 400,000 cases on November 30 to more than 800,000 cases on January 2, health officials reported on Monday. 

With hospitalizations climbing, the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency (EMS) directed ambulance crews not to transport patients with little chance of survival to hospitals and to conserve the use of oxygen.

Initially when the pandemic started, healthcare workers and resources were more readily available. This means patients who were unlikely to recover could be transported by ambulance to the hospital for treatment.

This is no longer an option. And without a doubt, it will get worse. Officials say they’re headed into the feared surge stemming from holiday gatherings.

“The increases in cases are likely to continue for weeks to come as a result of holiday and New Year’s Eve parties and returning travelers,” Ferrer said. “We’re likely to experience the worst conditions in January that we’ve faced the entire pandemic, and that’s hard to imagine.”

It’s unclear what the total damage will be as LA county braces for yet another surge. We will report on this as more info is made available.