As hospitals across California braced this week for a surge in COVID-19 patients who got infected over Christmas, officials relayed painful stories of the dying’s last moments with their families.

“One of the more heartbreaking conversations that our healthcare workers share is about these last words when children apologize to their parents and grandparents for bringing COVID into their homes for getting them sick. And these apologies are just some of the last words that loved ones will ever hear as they die alone,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis said. “Please, for your loved ones, stay home. Stay safe. Keep your loved ones alive.”

Officials believe the current spike was driven in part by family gatherings around Thanksgiving and Christmas that allowed younger people, who were more likely to be out and about, to spread COVID-19 to their elders, who otherwise tended to stay home.

“The situation is more dire than ever before, which is why I’m going to share some stories from our local hospitals,” Solis said. “Dying from COVID in the hospital means dying alone. Visitors are not allowed into hospitals for their own safety. Families are sharing their final goodbyes on tablets and mobile phones.”

Read the full story on LATimes.com.