The supply of available ICU beds in LA County continues to dwindle as hospitals struggle to keep up with the growing wave of COVID-19 patients.
The county's latest update shows 30 adult ICU beds.
It's a number that constantly changes but overall keeps going down.
COVID-related hospitalizations continue to set new records daily.
And with huge numbers of new cases being reported every day, thousands more people are expected to end up in the hospital soon.
Dr. Christina Ghaly, the county's health services director, says emergency rooms are being flooded with patients and the only way to turn things around is for people to stay home as much as possible.
"We've all seen images of people out and about, lots of people in parks, images of busy shopping centers and retail centers and we are very worried about what this could mean in the days and weeks to come. If you are still out there shopping for your loved ones for this holiday season or are planning a holiday get-together, then you are missing the gravity of the situation that is affecting hospitals across Los Angeles County, in California and this nation," she says.
Since the start of the pandemic, more than 635,000 county residents have tested positive for COVID-19 and more than 8,900 have died.