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More than 13,800 people diagnosed with COVID-19 have died in Los Angeles County, and the current wave of infections hitting the region has resulted in a backlog of corpses awaiting interment as hospital morgues have reached capacity and funeral homes are unable to handle more bodies.
The Los Angeles Times reported that “so many people have died in Los Angeles County that officials have temporarily suspended air-quality regulations that limit the number of cremations.”
Authorities usually restrict the number of human remains that may be cremated each month because of the potential impact fumes may have on the environment. The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued a 10-day emergency executive order on Sunday, halting the restriction under certain conditions. The air pollution control agency said it was acting at the request of public health officials and the L.A. County coroner’s office, which has recently been forced to add several refrigerated storage units and containers to store manage the overflow of dead bodies attributed to the pandemic. Members of the California National Guard were deployed to L.A. County earlier this month to assist the coroner.
L.A. is the nation’s most populated county, with more than 10 million residents.
South Coast AQMD issues an Emergency Order to temporarily suspend certain permit conditions for crematories in Los Angeles County to assist with the backlog caused by the COVID-19 pandemic: https://t.co/nNxFDXEq7h pic.twitter.com/QcnC3OC2o9
— South Coast AQMD (@SouthCoastAQMD) January 18, 2021
According to the order, the coroner has determined the current death rate “is more than double that of pre-pandemic years, and anticipates that another surge is approaching as a result of the New Year’s holiday, since deaths tend to occur 4-6 weeks after gatherings.”
The order says there is “an urgent need for additional human crematory services to deal with the increased demand,” calling the build-up of cremation cases “a threat to public health.” It references “28 crematories in Los Angeles County” that “have the resources and capability to perform more cremations” but cannot due to the monthly cap.
Facilities have been instructed to contact South Coast AQMD if they intend to exceed permit limits.
Wayne Nastri, the executive officer for the South Coast AQMD, said in the order that he had determined “strict compliance” with the monthly limit “would delay critical actions necessary to protect public health and safety and to respond to the urgent need created by the emergency.” Nastri previously served as an administrator with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Republican President George W. Bush.
The South Coast AQMD serves major portions of L.A., San Bernardino, and Riverside counties, as well as Orange County. The order, however, only applies to crematories in L.A. County and facilities that have an agreement with the L.A. County Medical-Examiner Coroner. Officials said it could be extended if warranted.
The L.A. Times reported that county officials “reported 108 deaths and 11,366 new positive cases Sunday, bringing the total to 13,848 deaths and slightly more than 1 million cases.” Public health authorities cautioned those numbers could be artificially low due to a delay in reporting over the weekend.
Related: Feds Tell California USNS Mercy Hospital Ship Unavailable To Help L.A.
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