With coronavirus sweeping through nursing homes at a deadly pace, Los Angeles County’s public health director on Tuesday took the extraordinary step of telling families it would be “perfectly appropriate” to pull loved ones out of long-term facilities for their safety.
More than 120 nursing facilities and other communal living institutions in Los Angeles County alone are suspected of having coronavirus infections, including a home in Redondo Beach where four people have died and 38 others have confirmed cases.
Outbreaks have also been reported at homes across California, alarming officials because the residents there are at high risk of serious health problems or death.
Dr. Barbara Ferrer, the Los Angeles County public health director who offered the advice, said some families are able to care for an infirm loved one now because so many people are working from home. But she acknowledged the “horrible choice” faced by families who cannot care for their loved ones at home.
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