SACRAMENTO - Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed an executive order aiming to expand the state's health care workforce in hopes of staffing at least an additional 50,000 hospital beds. The governor is asking doctors, nurses, medical students, medical retirees and others with a medical background to join the new California Health Corps.

"If you have a background in health care, we need your help," Newsom said.

The state is also looking for non-medical volunteers for activities such as delivering meals to seniors, volunteering for food banks and donating blood. Information is available at the California Volunteers website.

Bay Area shelter-in-place to be extended until at least May 1

The Public Health Order for people to shelter-in-place safely in their homes will soon be extended until at least May 1, seven Bay Area jurisdictions announced in a joint press release.

San Francisco was the first to extend the shelter-in-place order, Mayor London Breed confirmed Monday. This comes after announcing the city currently has 374 cases and 6 deaths.

The counties who signed the joint order include Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Santa Clara, San Francisco, San Mateo and the city of Berkeley, which operates its own public health department.

Los Angeles County

Los Angeles County public health director Dr, Barbara Ferrer said the county is reporting 7 additional deaths and 342 new cases. The county has now seen a total of 44 deaths and 2,474 total cases.

Of the seven additional deaths, six of them were age 65 and older and one person was age 41-65. Six of the seven, including the person in the younger age group, had pre-existing health conditions.

The county is now seeing a mortality rate of 1.8% for COVID-19, which Ferrer called a "staggering reminder of how deadly this disease can in fact be."

During his daily press conference, Mayor Eric Garcetti said 6,741 coronavirus tests were administered in Los Angeles County. About 13,000 tests are expected to be administered by April 2.

Outbreaks at 11 nursing homes, ‘dozens and dozens’ responders sick in L.A. County

Los Angeles County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer told reporters Monday that her agency is investigating COVID-19 outbreaks at 11 county nursing homes, and that “dozens and dozens” of local health-care workers have also tested positive.

National Guard transforms Los Angeles Convention Center into field hospital

A transformation is underway inside the Los Angeles Convention Center as members of the National Guard set up dozens of beds, preparing the center for use as a federal field hospital in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

"A federal medical station led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which dropped off that equipment and we unpacked it this weekend," said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti during a press conference on Sunday.

Several employees at an Amazon facility, a Costco and three different grocery stores across Southern California have tested positive for COVID-19 as the region continues to see a surge in cases.

Orange County

Orange County health officials are reporting 37 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total cases to 464. The county has seen four deaths, but no additional deaths reported Monday.

Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said the jail system released 130 inmates over the weekend earlier than their release dates.

The jail system has nine inmates who have been isolated after displaying COVID-19 symptoms, including five who have tested positive. There are 150 inmates who have been quarantined because of possible exposure to those cases even if they have not displayed symptoms.

San Bernardino County

Two San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies tested positive for COVID-19, the department said in a statement.

"The deputies entered self-quarantine due to an onset of flu-like symptoms prior to receiving test results and have been off of work for a week. We are currently investigating how they were infected," the statement said.

Each of the deputies are resting at home with flu-like symptoms. The deputies were assigned to the Corrections Bureau, according to the statement, but it was not known at what facility they worked at or if they had contact with inmates.

Two firefighters in the county have also tested positive for the virus and are in isolation.

Here are the current numbers of novel coronavirus cases across the Southland:

· Los Angeles County: 2,474 confirmed cases, 44 deaths

· Orange County: 464 cases, 4 deaths

· Riverside County: 233 confirmed cases, 8 deaths

· San Bernardino County: 111 cases, 3 deaths

· Ventura County: 109 cases, 4 deaths

· San Diego County: 519 cases, 7 deaths. (Source: KABC)

Story Date: March 31, 2020