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Covid-19 in the US: 'LA and southern California are the hot spot of hot spots'

As the mayor of Los Angeles orders residents of the city to stay at home, a doctor in San Francisco explains the pressures the state's health resources are under.

The mayor of Los Angeles has ordered residents of the city to stay at home, saying the city is close to "a devastating tipping point" and the director of the US Centers for Disease Control and PreventionΒ has warned that the next three months could be the most difficult in America's public health history.Β More than 100,000 Americans are in hospital and health resources are becoming increasingly stretched.

Peter Chin-Hong, professor of medicine and infectious disease specialist at the University of California in San Francisco, explains that the anxiety many are feeling stems from the fact that California's hospitals and ICU beds are rapidly reaching capacity. He describes the difference between north and south California, with certain 'renegade' counties such as Orange County taking precautions such as mask-wearing and travel restrictions less seriously - and the danger this poses.

Photo: Cars queue up to be tested for Covid-19 at the Dodger Stadium, LA, with the city skyline behind Credit: Getty Images

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