The mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, urged everyone in the city to wear masks in a bid to curb the spread of the virus. California's governor, however, does not think the idea should apply statewide.

Los Angeles has seen a dramatic surge of cases on Wednesday as health officials reported more than 500 new COVID-19 cases and 11 new coronavirus deaths. These figures now bring the city's number of infected patients to 3,518 and the death toll to 65.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health revealed nine of the 11 deceased victims had pre-existing medical conditions and belonged in the high-risk age group. The other two victims were between 18 to 65 years of age.

The local health department also said the virus has begun spreading through the homeless populace as five homeless people tested positive for the new coronavirus.

Mayor Eric Garcetti decided to no longer wait for advice from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on mask-wearing. He urged the city's 4 million residents to wear non-medical face coverings such as a bandana or a piece of fabric when performing essential tasks like grocery shopping.

During the news conference, Garcetti emphasized the need to stay at home to prevent the virus from spreading any further.

He also said medical-grade masks, especially surgical masks and N95 respirators, should be reserved for the use of health care workers and first responders who are now battling against coronavirus and the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) supply.

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Fairview Development Center
(Photo : Leonard Ortiz/The Orange County Register)
Fairview Development Center in Costa Mesa

California has seen a drastic increase in cases as authorities recorded 1,000 new cases in 24 hours, raising the state's confirmed cases past 9,500. Healthcare facilities in California continue to operate despite a dwindling supply of PPEs and medical equipment.

California Governor Gavin Newsom reminded the state's residents to continue observing self-quarantine measures, proper hand-washing, and maintaining a safe distance from other people. These efforts will help in alleviating some pressure on the country's already-strained healthcare system.

He also said the local government is focusing on acquiring thousands of hospital beds as researchers projected 66,000 beds will be needed to serve an expected deluge of patients when COVID-19 reaches its peak.

The state government announced its plan to repurpose a state-owned property in Costa Mesa to help relieve the stress COVID-19 is imposing on regional hospitals.

Repurposing the center aims to provide more space for hospital beds, which, in turn, could allow more patients to be treated by healthcare providers.

The state's medical personnel will be deployed to the makeshift center where they will attend to patients determined by local medical providers as needing low to medium levels of care. This move will free up space at traditional hospitals for patients in need of serious medical attention.

The facility is expected to hold at least 1,100 hospital beds and will be available for use this month.