* In California, COVID-19 cases have increased by 68 percent in just two weeks
* More than 2 million residents across the state have contracted the virus, and nearly 19,000 are currently hospitalized with it
* In southern California, all ICU beds have now been filled; on Thursday, hospitals in LA were diverting ambulances and leaving patients unattended for hours
* California's leaders are reaching out to Australia and Taiwan for nurses and other healthcare workers * If current trends continue, the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 could double in the next 30 days
* A new survey indicates millions of residents are ignoring stay-at-home pleas and have grown desensitized to increasing case rates
Doctors say California is currently experiencing a 'viral tsunami' with COVID-19 cases surging by a staggering 68 percent in the past two weeks alone and ICU beds now at capacity in the southern part of the state.
California surpassed 2 million recorded cases of the deadly virus earlier this week, but experts predict that number will rapidly rise as residents gather to celebrate Christmas and New Year.
'We could have a surge on top of surge on top of a surge in January and February,' Gov. Gavin Newsom stated on Thursday, as he urged residents to celebrate the festive season at home.
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Update: Americans celebrate Christmas Eve under spiraling COVID pandemic (Reuters)
WNU Editor: The predictions are grim .... US coronavirus death toll could reach 731,000 by April if states ease mandates but up to 45,000 lives could be saved by vaccine rollout, IHME predictions show, as a record 120,000 patients face Christmas in hospital (Daily Mail).
