As the coronavirus pandemic spreads across the country and the world, California health officials are sharing a dire warning about family reunions.
At a news conference on Monday, Los Angeles County supervisor Hilda Solis opened her comments with the reminder that “dying from COVID in the hospital means dying alone.”
She added that families have been saying goodbye on tablets and cell phones.
“One of the most moving conversations that our healthcare professionals share is about those last words, when children apologize to their parents and grandparents for bringing COVID into their homes, for making them sick. And those excuses are just some of the last words that loved ones will hear when they die alone, ”she said.
“Please, don’t let this be your family. Don’t let them be your parents or grandparents, ”she continued. “Please, for your loved ones, stay home, stay safe, keep your loved ones alive.”
Download the TODAY app to get the latest coverage of the coronavirus outbreak.
California has been particularly hard hit by the virus, with most cases by state, according to data compiled by NBC News. The Los Angeles Department of Public Health said on Tuesday that in the county alone, more than 1,600 people have died of coronavirus in the past seven days. It is a rate of approximately one death every six minutes, NBC Los Angeles reported. Across the state, more than 30,000 people died of coronavirus.