At least five Los Angeles County hospitals had to turn patients away on Sunday, citing an 'internal disaster.'<br />In the week before Christmas, the state averaged more than 40,000 new coronavirus infections every day.<br />CNN reports that at some area hospitals, aging infrastructure was unable to keep up with the high number of patients needing oxygen.<br />The issue was not the lack of oxygen itself--rather, the buildings were unable to maintain the necessary pressure to deliver the oxygen.<br />Some hospitals are moving COVID-19 patients down to lower floors to make it easier to pump the oxygen through pipes.<br />There are multiple issues involving oxygen delivery to patients, but generally, the problem is not an absolute shortage of oxygen. Dr. Christina Ghaly Director, Los Angeles County Health Services
