SACRAMENTO - Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the latest coronavirus numbers for California, with 10,710 cases, 2,188 hospitalized and 901 people in ICU, a 10.4% increase from the previous day. Cases in California are expected to peak in the beginning to middle of May, according to Newsom.

Following the state's pledge of $150 million in homeless aid, Newsom said 7,000 hotel rooms have been secured to house the homeless in California, with the goal of 15,000 rooms.

Chef José Andrés and World Central Kitchen will provide meals for homeless individuals amid the coronavirus pandemic, Newsom said.

He added that Californians who looking to volunteer, including to donate blood, can go do so by signing up at https://californiavolunteers.ca.gov/get-involved/covid-19/

Additionally, Newsom said 38 million N95 masks have been distributed in the state so far.

Los Angeles County officials confirmed an additional 11 deaths and 521 cases

Los Angeles County officials on Friday confirmed an additional 11 deaths and 521 cases, bringing the county's death toll to 89 and case total to 4,566.

County public health director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said seven of the individuals who died were over the age of 65, all of which had underlying health conditions. Three people were between 41 and 65 years old, and one person between the ages of 18 and 40, highlighting the fact that virus does not discriminate based on age.

The county is investigating coronavirus outbreaks at more than 67 institutional settings, including nursing homes, assisted-living centers, shelters, treatment centers, supported-living facilities, jails and prisons.

Los Angeles County opened three more drive-up coronavirus testing sites Friday, while planning continues for at least three more.

The new sites are at the Pomona Fairplex, the South Bay Galleria and the Antelope Valley Mall. Testing is by appointment only. Walk-up appointments are not available.

Additional sites in Northridge, Long Beach, Lancaster and Pasadena are in the planning stages, and sites in Lancaster and Glendale are already operating.

Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore says officers are going to start wearing surgical masks or non-medical face coverings in public. "This is for our safety, and for your safety," Moore tweeted. Mayor Eric Garcetti has already recommended that all Angelenos wear a face covering when in public.

USNS Mercy in Port of LA admits total of 15 patients so far

The U.S. Navy hospital ship Mercy has treated a total of 15 patients since it arrived at the Port of Los Angeles last Friday, according to the ship's commanding officer.

The 1,000-bed hospital ship is treating patients with non-COVID-19 ailments in an effort to relieve the stress of L.A. area hospitals that are dealing with the rising number of novel coronavirus cases.

Mercy's commanding officer Capt. John Rotruck said Thursday in a call with reporters that there are currently 10 patients on the ship and five have been discharged.

Rotruck said patients are transferred after being referred to by the hospitals through a county medical alert center, which the Mercy has been added to.

Since the ship is not treating COVID-19 patients, Rotruck said referring hospitals are screening and testing patients for the virus before someone can be transferred.

The ship has treated a broad range of patients involved in traumatic accidents and those with gastrointestinal issues and heart and lung problems, Rotruck stated.

During the briefing, Rotruck also stated that if the ship was ever ordered to start accepting COVID-19 patients, the necessary adjustments would be made to accommodate the request.

SoCal COVID-19 survivor donates his plasma to OC patient in critical need

An Orange County hospital has become the first on the West Coast to try an experimental treatment for COVID-19 as a patient in serious condition just received a plasma transfusion from a man who recently recovered. If it works, it could offer hope as the potentially deadly infection wreaks havoc worldwide.

Inside St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, a critically ill coronavirus patient waits to see if an trial treatment will help him recover.

"It''s really there for those patients that are severely affected or whose life is threatened by the virus," said Wendy Escobedo, RN, the nursing director for Dialysis and Kidney Transplants.

The procedure, called convalescent plasma therapy, looks like a blood transfusion, but it's plasma from a recovered patient.

"Plasma is the yellowish liquid component of the blood and it carries really important cells and proteins," Escobedo said.

Although experimental, Escobedo said convalescent plasma therapy was first used in the 1890s to treat diphtheria. The treatment was used again during the Spanish Flu and later to treat SARS and H1N1.

One donation can help three patients.

The FDA announced it wants to gather plasma from those who've recovered. Now, the American Red Cross is working with the FDA to help screen, identify and collect plasma from those who have survived coronavirus.

Plan to house homeless COVID-19 patients at OC hotel sparks backlash

An Orange County hotel near a retirement living community will be used to house homeless novel coronavirus patients, causing several to say the move is too dangerous.

Residents living at Laguna Woods Village, a community for people ages 55 and over, are enraged about the Ayres Hotel being used to house the patients. The retirement community makes up most of the city of Laguna Woods and seniors are considered among the most at risk of dying from the coronavirus.

"We're really scared as to what this is going to do to our whole community," said Sue Margolis, a resident at Laguna Woods Village.

The Ayres Hotel confirms it's leasing the 138-bed hotel to the county. The city says the hotel will become a temporary housing and medical facility for homeless people "who have either already contracted, or are at high risk for contracting, COVID-19."

In a statement, Laguna Woods Mayor Noel Hatch calls the move ill-advised and says with more than 80% of his residents age 65 and older, the move creates greater danger for an entire segment of the population they're trying to protect.

But county leaders say a surge in cases may only be a week away and they say they need to act fast following Gov. Gavin Newsom's order to find locations to reduce density in shelters.

"Speed is of the greatest importance," said county CEO Frank Kim. "It's something that we were directed to do and we did identify that it was one of the many sites across the county."

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

· Los Angeles County: 4,566 confirmed cases, 89 deaths

· Orange County: 711 cases, 13 deaths

· Riverside County: 638 confirmed cases, 15 deaths

· San Bernardino County: 353 cases, 13 deaths

· Ventura County: 177 cases, 6 deaths

· San Diego County: 966 cases, 16 deaths. )

Story Date: April 4, 2020