Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

Los Angeles ambulance crews, stretched thin by Covid-19 surge, told NOT TO TRANSPORT PATIENTS expected to die

Los Angeles ambulance crews, stretched thin by Covid-19 surge, told NOT TO TRANSPORT PATIENTS expected to die

Ambulance crews in Los Angeles, which has become ‘ground zero’ for the latest surge in US Covid-19 cases, have been ordered to refuse transport for people likely to die, conserving resources for those with better chances.

Due to the pandemic’s impact on hospitals, “adult patients in blunt traumatic and nontraumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest shall not be transported if return of spontaneous circulation is not achieved in the field,” the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency said in a memo on Monday. The policy applies to all types of patients, from those suffering a heart attack or stroke to accident victims.

Patients in traumatic cardiac arrest who meet certain criteria, such as showing no return of spontaneous circulation or shockable rhythm identified during resuscitation efforts, “shall be determined dead on scene and not transported,” the directive said. For patients in nontraumatic cardiac arrest who don’t meet the so-called Reference 814 criteria, on-scene resuscitation efforts should continue for up to 20 minutes “or until futility is reached.”

The EMS Agency also ordered new restrictions on how much oxygen can be administered to patients in various situations. For instance, “EMS should only administer supplemental oxygen to patients with oxygen saturation below 90 percent.” All of the changes were made effective immediately.

Los Angeles County has tallied nearly 11,000 Covid-19 deaths and currently has about 7,700 patients hospitalized with the virus, according to public health data. County officials warned on Monday that weekly deaths may rise to 1,000 if current trends continue. There were a record 262 deaths reported last Wednesday alone, and the county’s cumulative number of confirmed cases doubled to 800,000 between the end of November and January 2.


The National Guard has been called in to help county workers move corpses from overcrowded hospital morgues. “There have been some unfortunate outcomes for patients in hospitals and ambulances across the county who couldn’t be offloaded into an emergency department in a timely manner,” the county’s Health Services Director Dr. Christina Ghaly told the Los Angeles Times.

Many hospitals are reportedly diverting ambulances to other providers, while some arriving patients are put into waiting rooms. In some cases, intensive care is being carried out in hallways and recovery areas.

Epidemiologist Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding called the new ambulance policies “next-level bad.” He added, “This radical change in ambulance rules means if an EMT paramedic cannot resuscitate a heartbeat, a patient will not be transported to any hospital in Los Angeles. This is worse than rationing care.”


Los Angeles hospitals are “on the brink of catastrophe,” UN Goodwill Ambassador and journalist Isha Sesay reported on Twitter. “From my apartment, all I hear is ambulance sirens, all day long.”


Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
×