State activates Coroners Mutual Aid & Mass Fatality Program as COVID-19 cases rise
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KION) Gov. Gavin Newsom provided an update on how the state is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic Monday morning, and at that time, he shared the steps the state is taking to handle a surge in cases.
One of the steps includes activating the state's Coroners Mutual Aid & Mass Fatality Program to work with morgues and coroners. Newsom said this is because the number of COVID-19 related deaths has risen along with case numbers.
On Nov. 14, Newsom said the 7-day average number of daily deaths was 41, but that number has risen to 163 as of Monday. Newsom said 142 people have died in the past 24 hours
According the the California Office of Emergency Services, the plan is intended to help and support law enforcement activities during major disasters that result in mass fatality, defined as an incident that involves more deaths than can be handled by a local Coroner or Medical Examiner. It comes with a set of procedures for the notification and response of coroners and coordination of mutual aid among California's regions.
"The basic policy of regional or state assistance to Operational Areas is to support Coroner/M.E. with resources after all of their resources are committed and the magnitude of the disaster is, or soon will be, beyond their resources and capabilities," Cal OES wrote in the plan.
Read the full Coroners' Mutual Aid Plan.
Newsom said the end is in sight, but we are in the middle of the highest peak so far.
An additional 24 locations, including Santa Cruz County, were expected to receive doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday. Five more locations will receive it tomorrow, and nearly 400,000 more doses are expected to arrive next week.
Newsom said Moderna's vaccine may receive emergency use authorization from the FDA this week, and if it is approved, California is expected to receive more than 600,000 doses.
