Central California overwhelmed by Covid surge ahead of Thanksgiving

Statewide infection rate is one of country's lowest but in region resistant to masks and vaccines, hospitals are over capacity

Ahead of the Thanksgiving holidays, California officials are raising the alarm about a winter Covid surge as hospitals in some parts of the state remain overwhelmed with patients, despite overall progress.

California's coronavirus infection rate is one of the lowest in the country but the burden of infection remains unevenly distributed. In central California, a region that struggled with resistance to masks and vaccines throughout the pandemic, the strained public health system has been pushed to the brink. Hospitals this week are over-capacity and officials are seeking to transfer more patients out of the region for treatment in Los Angeles.