SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — Leaders at Palomar Health confirmed with News 8 Monday that they've started receiving patients at the two floors created as a Federal Medical Station in San Diego County to give relief to full hospitals in the area with patients being treated for COVID-19.
The California Office of Emergency Services says the site was established as an alternate care center with enough space to handle 202 patients. It occupies the previously vacant 10th and 11th floors of Palomar Health in Escondido.
The County of San Diego asked for this to be made available in March of last year but this is the first time since the pandemic began that it started receiving patients from overflowing hospitals around Southern California.
The California Department of Public Health approved the request made by the county in April. Federal assets were then provided and the Federal Medical Station was ready to receive patients in late April.
Now, with ICU capacity in the Southern California region dropping to 0%, hospitals say they need the relief, and patients are now being received.
Governor Gavin Newsom provided an update Monday on the situation facing California, where authorities have warned of a potential huge surge in cases due to travel and gatherings for the December holidays and New Year’s.
The Federal Medical Station is now open and on loan to the county. State leaders made it clear last year that this site would only be activated if hospitals in the area needed relief. They say the emphasis is on receiving patients from Imperial County for now but could serve San Diego hospitals if necessary.