The USNS Mercy is on its way to the Port of Los Angeles

Currently, LA County has less than 200 ICU beds available countywide. About 90% of our system’s hospital beds are already occupied by patients who are not COVID-19 patients — meaning our healthcare system is at risk of being easily overwhelmed as the number of cases of this virus rises exponentially day by day.

That is why on Friday I sent a letter to President Trump asking him to immediately send the USNS Mercy to the Port of LA to help LA County relieve this oncoming burden.

Yesterday the President announced that the Mercy would be directed to Los Angeles, bringing with it 1,000 badly-needed hospital beds that will be used to treat non-COVID-19 patients along with 800 Navy medical personnel. The Navy expects it will dock this week.

This will allow hospitals across LA County to have the space and resources they need to deal with a surge of incoming COVID-19 cases. This will save lives.