will impact our when you we continue to vaccinate more people, the need for test decreases. >> l.a. countyapproaching another milestone, 1 million confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic. >>> san diego county is tracking down on covid-19 rule breakers as the region deals with the surge of cases. last night the county board of supervisors approved nine more compliance teams and increased fines for those who violate the reopening plan and noncompliance businesses will be ineligible for relief funds. so far 17,000 violation complaints have been reported. the county has 91,000 cases and 747 deaths. >>> and only 13 days into 2021 and many are taking advantage of the state's health insurance market place. state officials say 1.6 million people have gotten insurance through cover california so far in year, that is nearly 200,000 more people compared with the same time last year. and if you still need coverage, you can do so until january 31st. >>> new this morning, a cat in southern california just found three years after a huge mudslide. patches was thought to be dead the entire time. th

>>ter: l.a. county supervisor janet hong says they haven't heard any cases of coveted vaccines being thrown away at this point, but she wants to make sure that will never happen. that's after she heard workers at the health foundation clinic in engelwood thought they were supposed to toss unused doses. hong was told after the wo administered the vaccines, they ended up with unused vials because people who signed up didn't show up so much they contacted people not on the priority list and vaccinated them instead. the clinic thought they were going against lake county health department guidelines but they actually did the right thing. >> what i think causes the confusion is we haven't been clear enough in communicating with all these clinics and hospitals and cvs's, and vaccination sites that, indeed, never throw away a dose. always find an arm to put that dose in. >> reporter: we asked the l.a. county department of public health about their vaccination policy. they sent it to us and it says "each group s

in l.a. county are warning hospitals are, quote, on the brink of catastrophe as it witnesses its worst day of deaths. officials believe the latest surge is driven by thanksgiving gatherings they fear what could come now after christmas and new year's. let's go to paul in l.a. the situation just keeps getting worse and worse there. >> reporter: it does. when you talk to doctors and nurses on the ground as i do every week, they're petrified. let's look at the numbers that have them so scared. the deaths, 290 in the last count in l.a. county that's a record. and then the hospitalizations, 7,500 people hospitalized in l.a. county with covid related symptoms. this is taxing the hospital system, everything from ambulances to a ripple effect on clinics. an exhausted front line workers want to reach out and talk to the public. let's listen to what they had to say. >> i can tell you that we really are at a breaking point. we're also worried that at some point soon we're going to have a tough time finding the

especially l.a. countynfections are down by about half from 15000 a day to roughly 7000, joining is now janice hahn los angeles county, thank you for joining us, people can say people can go out, it's great the weather will be nice, time to live life normally but you have some cautions what is your advice? >> i think the fact that you mentioned it's really bad in los angeles county in terms of the deadly virus. we had 7000 new cases yesterday, we had 300 people die yesterday, it is still bad in our hospitals are precariously close to being overwhelmed and overcrowded, having said that the restaurant association has really bearing the brunt of the lockdowns, many restaurants will not become back people have lost their jobs, i was one of those that was in favor of lifting outdoor dining began, were trying to go forward to have a reduction strategy in l.a. county, we know you want to eat out and get together, let us tell you how you think and maybe you can do it safer. eric: how would that be, what you telling

in l.a. countycal station reports ambulances have been waiting up to eight hours to drop off patients there's no room. some southland hospitals even running out of places to store the dead just today local leaders called in national guard troops to help remove the corpses the los angeles mayor, eric garcetti, says the county is averaging about one new covid case every six seconds health experts warn a post-holiday spike could cripple the region's health care system. nbc's erin mclaughlin covering the story from l.a. >> reporter: hey, shep officials here in l.a. county tell me that the next few days will be absolutely critical in the fight against covid-19 for the whole of southern california that is when they're going to start to see any evidence of a potential christmas surge that officials here have been dreading for weeks and months. they had been warning people to stay home for christmas, not to gather with family and friends, to wear masks, to social distance, but we know based on travel number

. >> l.a. county is smashing covid records with 900,000 infected and 12,000 deaths. right now about 200 angelenos a day are dying from covid, more than all other causes combined. >> this is our new york moment, our moment to be scared straight. >> nationwide covid deaths setting records in 11 states, new infections spiking in 38 states including illinois where chicago's public schools are set to reopen monday. there is a blame game going on about the slow rollout of the vaccine. former fda commissioner dr. scott gottlieb telling "face the nation" 40 million doses are sitting on a shelf. >> the feds say it is with the state, the states with the feds it really doesn't matter to the patients. >> california officials are going big to boost their vaccination numbers using san diego's pet koa park and other locations to get a million and a half people their shots this week. >> i got mine in my left arm. >> nurses greg and laura roberts got them. but it was too late for the 44 year old's daughter charity. she died of covid last month. >> it was very horrifying to watch what

los angeles mayor with a stark warning as l.a. county its deadliest day since the pandemic began. >> we are still going to have our toughest and darkest days. our hospitals are doing miraculous work. our health care workers are stretched to the limit, taking shift after shift after shift. >> l.a. county's public health department posted a tweet every ten minutes today to mark a new death from covid. >>> and two pedestrians are dead tonight after they were hit by a stolen car in san francisco, south of market area this afternoon. the collision happened at 4:00 at second and mission streets. one pedestrian died at the scene. the other was rushed to the hospital but passed away there. police say the suspected driver tried to run away from the scene but was eventually apprehended by officers. >>> pg&e customers can expect an increase in monthly bills in the new year. a bill for someone receiving electricity and gas is rising by an average of $5.15 a month. electricity bills will rise on average $6.13. it will help fund upgrades to the system

. >>> l.a. county, the next few days will be critical. the l.a. times says icu cases have hit a plateau the last couple of days. that's a sliver of hope. there are still fears new year's eve gatherings may bring another surge. >>> l.a. county is expanding its vaccine eligibility to all health care workers, not just those working in hospitals and nursing homes. the county started transitioning dodgers stadium from a testing center to a vaccine center. >>> and the first known case of a parehuman to gorilla transiti. some of the gorillas, not specifying which are positive. it's believe they caught the virus from an asymptomatic staff member. oakland zoo and area zoos are closed due to the pandemic. >>> next on "today in the bay," where the san jose sharks will play out their season. >>> and roll tide. bay area football player celebrating a win this morning. >>> new year's beijing winter olympics -- next year's beijing winter olympics say venues for alpine skiing and other winter sports are ready. 2022 beijing winter games are less than 22 months away

l.a. countyepicenter of the virus in the united states, the hospitals are so overwhelmed they are looking are at rationing care. >> we are able to get the equipment, because somebody else had died, and that sounds gruesome and horhorrific, but t is where we are today. >> reporter: in l.a. county one person dies of coronavirus as often as every ten minutes. as of the rates of infection -- >> one person every six seconds contracting covid-19 here in l.a. county and the nation's largest county of 19 million people. >> reporter: and one hospital director said that her hospital is pushed to the brink of capacity and the density of population is one reason of spikes in los angeles area, and she cited the work patterns of many of the county residents. >> we have low income workers and essential workers working outside of their homes. >> reporter: in california, often more people are living inside of a given home, and one is pointing to the dynamics of working inside of the state. >> the hispanic culture

we have been working hard with cities and counties, including l.a. city and county to get the site up and operational. we announce the work being done not just at the fairgrounds on the coast, up and down the state of california but in the inland part of the state. it is a flywheel and we are working aggressively to increase points of access and transparency and accountability for those 3500 partners and providers all throughout the state of california that are entrusted to deliver these vaccines to administer these vaccines. >> given reports there is no federal stockpile as expected, will california have enough doses for those due for their second shot in the next few days and weeks? will counties have to pull back from exiting people 65 and up? >> we do not see any moment. dr. galli is here if he has additional thoughts, but we do not see any issues at the moment as it relates to second doses. we have distributed and administered over 200,002nd doses in the state as of last night. we are starting to receive second doses edit we believe second doses

. >> reporter: covid cases across l.a. county continue to surge. in l.a. unty, 7,543 covid patients in hospitals. it's an all-time record. >> it's kind of a hidden disaster. it's not a fire, an earthquake, a train wreck. it's all happening behind the doors of households and hospitals. >> reporter: exhaustion in the ranks of our healthcare workers is universal. >> you can see the look in the staffs' eyes. it's like the deer in the headlights. they're overwhelmed. >> reporter: there are fears things could get much worse because of the new year's gatherings. a doctor at one local hospital says as of yesterday, they are now ranking patients based on chances of survival to determine who gets a bed. >> that was tom wait reporting. records continue to fall nationwide. more than 3700 deaths were recorded in the u.s. in each of the last three days. president trump tweeted a video touting the covid-19 vaccination effort. >> they'll be talking about this great, great thing that we did with the vaccines. >> the president did not address criticism over the slow vaccine

in l.a. countythe new epicenter of the virus in the united states, hospitals are so overwhelmed they're looking at rationing care. >> so we're able to get the equipment because somebody else, you know, had died. and that sounds gruesome and horrific, but that's where we are today. >> reporter: in l.a. county one person dies of coronavirus as often as every ten minutes. as for the rates of infection -- >> we're seeing a person every six seconds contract covid-19 here in los angeles county, the nation's largest county, 10 million people. >> reporter: the l.a. county health services director who warned hospitals in her county are being pushed to the brink of catastrophe says the dense population is one reason for the spikes in the los angeles area and also cited the work patterns of many county residents. >> we have a lot of low-income workers, a lot of essential workers working outside of their homes. >> reporter: experts say in california often more people are living inside a given home and one exper

covid case numbers in l.a. county still trending lower but not deaths. another 262 reported in l.a. county yesterday. former governor arnold schwarzenegger is one of the thousands vaccinated at dodgers stadium yesterday. he posted this video to twitter saying he's never been happier to wait in line and has an amusing message for fans. >> all right. i just got my vaccine and i recommend it to anyone and everyone. come with me if you want to live. >> san diego county leaders, meanwhile, expanding their vaccine push in one area hit extremely hard by the pandemic. some of the places there have the highest rate anywhere. >>> so, numbers on your screen, number of americans we lost in a single day. 4,131 is more than we lost on 9/11. so that is the deadliest single day our nation has seen so far. on the same day, nearly 179,000 new infections that we know about. we lost an additional 700 californians and in one day. 22,000 additional infections. >>> happening today, attorneys for the embattled cavalry church in san jose say the church pastor will appear in his contempt trial. the trial surr

l.a. countyay on average 200 people a day are dying from covid, some people are going to great lengths to cheat the system and get vaccinated. >> we've had people, you know, i'm not sure why think it's a good idea to go ahead and post how people can go in and try to subvert the system. please don't take a slot away from a health care worker. >> reporter: right now only front line health care workers in l.a. county and seniors at assisted living facilities like 97-year-old ann johnson are eligible for vaccinations. >> they tell me that i am at risk because of my age. >> reporter: moderna's chief executive says its vaccine could offer protection against covid-19 for up to a couple of years. chris martinez, cbs news, los angeles. >>> coming up on "cbs this mornin morning", new details in the investigation into the riots in the capitol building and the misinformation that is attempting to shift blame. >>> plus, we will speak with republican senator ben sasse, a critic of president trump, in his first

. >> reporter: l.a. county is smashing covid records with 900,000 infected and 12,000 deaths. right now, about 200 angelenos a day are dying of covid. that's more than from all other causes combined. >> this is our new york moment, our moment to be scared straight. >> reporter: nationwide covid deaths setting records in 11 states. new infections spiking in 38 states including illinois, where chicago's public schools are set to reopen monday. there's a blame game going on about the slow rollout of the vaccine. former fda commissioner dr. scott gottlieb telling "face the nation" 40 million doses are sitting on a shelf. >> the feds say it's with the states. the states say it's with the feds. it doesn't matter to the patient. >> reporter: california officials are going big to boost their vaccination numbers. using san diego's petco park and other locations to get a million and a half people their shots this week. >> so i got mine in my left arm. >> reporter: nurses greg and laura roberts got them. but it was too late for their 44-year-old daughter, charity. she died of covid last

. >> reporter: margaret, l.a. county is home to half of the covid deaths and state, and nearly one in three have been infected with the virus since the pandemic began. now, the largest vaccination site in the country is dodgers stadium. it has been a slow start for vaccinations in california. but officials believe by next week, health care workers in the state will be able to administer 40,000 doses a day. >> it took a little bit of waiting, but the actual vaccination went really fast and painless. >> reporter: but there are mounting concerns the supply of vaccines doses could run out. california was expecting an uptake in shipments after the federal government promised to release a reserve supply. >> they have reneged or are unable to deliver on that. >> reporter: the trump administration says governors misunderstood. >> we're not sitting on a reserve. we've made that available to the states. >> reporter: hospitalization rates in california have fallen, but many hospitals are still well over capacities with a california

it was determined one person in l.a. county was dying of covid every ten minutes and that prompted a powerful public awareness campaign with l.a. health officials posting something personal about someone who had died every ten minutes on twitter or at least trying to make these numbers more tangible for people to think about their own loved ones. you've described ambulances ten deep waiting to offload patients, gift shops, conference rooms having to be converted into treatment rooms. tell us what an average day has become for health officials there? >> thanks for having me, ana. it's really a tragedy unfolding on so many levels here in los angeles county. and this affects not just the four hospitals operated through the county but also every private hospital across the region. staff are taking care of way more patients than they should be taking care of or used to taking care of, as dr. spielberg just described. taking care of patients they're not fully equipped to, and emergency departments and icus well over capacity and ambu

in a week or so, maybe five days, maybe less than that, l.a. county five other states have seen a number like that. >> as if it's hot horrific enough to have lost a family member, to find out that there's nowhere that they can go to get a funeral, i mean -- steve patterson, thank you for that. >>> let me bring in dr. dara cast. she's from columbia university medical center. thanks for being with us. obviously, that report, the numbers that we are seeing, the states where we are seeing the extraordinary surges, bring into focus the need to get this vaccine rollout going and right. in florida, the governor allowed for anyone over 65 to get the vaccine. but only 558,000 people have been vaccinated. process rocky to say the least. now they are turning to event bright. it's an online ticketing platform to help the process. as a doctor, does the strategy like that raise any questions for you? what alarm bells are ringing for you, doctor? >> first of all, any time you use an open access platform that is free to schedule people for a medical procedure, you ru

is what we're seeing in southern california and l.a. county a warning of what could come in the next few weeks nationwide after the holidays? >> i think certainly. one of the patterns we've seen throughout is there happen to be surges in given regions and cities for reasons that may or may not be clear. but we see these peaks and waves. in late november we had that situation going on in the illinois ree illinois region. what we're seeing in los angeles could be a harbinger of what we're going to see in other regions of the country. and you mentioned the space issue and the makeshift hospitals. you know, those are infrastructure issues that can be addressed by opening up field hospitals. what cannot be addressed is the need for experienced and trained personnel to be able to manage the individuals. i'm pleased that we have an opportunity to protect personnel right now. however, i have heard reports of some individuals delivering the vaccine in their roles as pharmacists and technicians who have themselves not been vaccinated because they haven'

l.a. countyfficially being told to not transport patients who have little chance of survival. with that i want to go to nbc's erin mclaughlin outside st. joseph providence medical health center in burbank. erin, thank you for joining us on this. the hospital you're outside of is so full, they have had to create makeshift triage tents in the hospital parking lot. what are officials saying about the kriegs sis there? >> reporter: this is by all accounts a desperate situation. you mentioned that edict issued by l.a.'s emergency services -- it was a pro-pronged' licht telling crews if a patient is deemed very unlikely to survive, not to be taken to hospitals such as the one behind me. that's how overwhelmed the hospitals are in l.a. county. they also told the ambulance crews to start rationing oxygen. we're familiar with select hospitals reporting issues with their oxygen. the army corps of engineers sent in personnel to help address those systems at select hospitals in southern california. now we're

l.a. county has just eased air quality rules to allow for more cremations.s bad as things may seem, one uplifting update tonight. >> i was fearing the worst. >> reporter: we met dennis zayas and his wife jessica just before christmas, after a covid diagnosis led to a double lung transplant. >> almost having to learn how to walk again. >> reporter: now he's working out, and this weekend got his first dose of the moderna vaccine. tonight, cbs news confirmed president trump is lifting covid travel restrictions beginning january 26 from europe and brazil, where the virus is surging. meanwhile, hospitals here are still at maximum capacity, and worried about the post-holiday surge. norah. >> o'donnell: jamie yuccas, thank you so much. and there's still much more news ahead on tonight's "cbs evening news." vladimir putin's chief political rival is arrested and thrown in jail. and a man is caught living for months inside a major u.s. airport. his explanation for being there, coming up next. everyone remembers the moment they hearard... "youou have cancncer.” how the

in l.a. county, patients are waiting hours outside emergency rooms and some paramedics, ambulance crews, have been told now not to bring trauma victims who have little chance of surviving. if they can't be revived in a certain amount of time, do not bring them to the e.r. the u.s. is now averaging 2,600 deaths a day. more than 356,000 lives have been lost. and a number of hurdles remain in the vaccine rollout across this country. seniors, this image today lining up in palm beach, florida. these lines for hours, and this buzz just to make an appointment to get the vaccine. and tonight, as i mentioned now, georgia reporting that case of the uk variant. this is the fifth state where it's now been found. they expect it in several more. here's our chief national correspondent matt gutman. >> reporter: with each new patient delivered to the doors of an e.r. tonight, the health system spirals deeper into crisis. l.a. county now issuing an alarming order to ambulances. traumas such as gun shot, car crash or

erin mclaughlin is in los angeles tonight. >> reporter: a desperate situation unfolding here in l.a. county at this hospital in burbank. there are so many patients that they set up triage tents outside to help deal with the volume i was speaking to an e.r. doctor here and she told me that she believes they're just days away from having to implement what's known as crisis standard of care mode, which is essentially rationing care, making life-or-death decisions on behalf of patients and their families already something similar has been declared for ambulances here in los angeles. that edict going out that ambulance crews are not to bring anyone who's very unlikely to survive to hospitals such as this one this doctor tells me exactly what that means. take a listen. >> making those difficult decisions of giving the medical resources to the people that are going to benefit from it the most if that means choosing who gets a ventilator or who gets monoclonal antibodies, those are the tough decisions that are going to have to happen. >> reporter: you may remember the stark sight of the usns mercy

the grim record as it battled with 1 million cases in l.a. county l.a. the first county in america to hit the 1 million mark >>> across the pond, cathedrals in england have been turned into vaccination centers. people from salisbury and blackburn got to enjoy soothing tones of organs playing while they waited. meanwhile here in the states two more vaccines could enter the market our megan fitzgerald has more for us hey, meagen, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, as cases of coronavirus continue to surge across the nation the death toll is accelerating now a more contagious strain of the virus, a different variant is a concern here in the u.s. as americans are frustrated over the slow vaccine rollout, dr. anthony fauci says help may be on the way. johnson & johnson and astrazeneca's shots could soon be valleevaluated for emergency. >> i imagine within a week or so a couple of weeks they're going to be getting their data together and showing it to the fda. >> reporter: another vaccine can't come fast enough of the nationwide, nearly 21,000 are in cal

and right now, hospitals in l.a. county are facing intense pressure from waves of new patients. >>> i want to start with our reporters on the ground. msnbc's steve patterson is in hard-hit los angeles county where a person is dying every ten minutes from this virus. and nbc's shaquille brewster is at bradley international airport in windsor locks, connecticut, where they are testing travelers after holiday gatherings. first of all, happy new year to you both. steve, i'll start with you. the new year is only bringing more troubling news for los angeles county as it fights this pandemic. so what are you seeing there? >> kathy, it's gotten to the point in this crisis where i have to start off with the overwhelming amount of death and what to do with the dead. private mortuaries and funeral homes have now gotten to the point where they're so overloaded with bodies that they have to turn away bereaved families. the county has shattered its single day death toll, now three days in a row. let me put it to you like this. the nation

icus and ers are so jammed here in l.a. countyhat the county has told ambulance drivers not to transport trauma victims, victims of gunshots, car crashes, heart attacks to the hospital if they have little chance of surviving. this morning, public health officials are warning the covid crisis is spiraling out of control forcing some e.r.s and icus to turn away patients. >> if you have someone going into labor or having a heart attack or who gets into a car accident on an icy road, they may not have a bed because the icus are full. >> reporter: nationwide, a record 128,000 people hospitalized because of covid. in l.a. county, the situation is so dire that ambulance crews are now being advised to cut back on oxygen use and not to transport patients with little chance of survival to hospitals. and last week martin luther king hospital in south l.a. declaring an internal disaster turning away ambulances for several hours. the positivity rate there is a staggering 32%. >> well, you know, it's the kind of thing you might do if there has

the country since world war ii and maybe before that with the death toll almost unimaginable in l.a. county which is being taken to its knees by the magnitude of the virus outbreak and the president has been awol for months like a navy captain, he walked off the bridge and retreated to the state room wondering how to save himself. for months and months not a peep of complaint from republicans in congress as he has really abandoned americans at this critical moment. and even the impeachment vote, yes, 10 republicans did vote to remove him. that is the most for a president facing his own party, but you could certainly argue this was the single most egregious act by a president ever. i refer to doug brinkley if he can find something else, but i think when liz cheney said no president has not followed his oath of office, it's extraordinary. she's right. >> the president has been talking to steve bannon of all people in recent weeks. what's this all about? >> well, steve bannon was one of the architects of his campaign in 2016. he is nuts like donald trump is nuts. he's facing federal fraud char

they're reopening in l.a. county, but the rules are extremely strict. among the rules, the tables now have to be eight feet apart. they say no more than six people at the table. and they don't want people from the different households at the tables, just some of the rules. and here is a big one, they do not want any televisions in these outdoor eating areas. and this is really being met with sort of mixed reviews in the restaurant business. i'll bring in angela, she went viral earlier when she was shut down the first time, you might remember her. how are you feeling right now? you get to open up in a half hour, but -- >> yeah, i'm happy to see customers and see people laughing in here. but i haven't slept all night. we got the rules first thing in the morning yesterday, which is just another bag of emotions, when it comes to being a small business, you know, it's like they tell us we can open on friday, they give us the rules in the morning. and one of the big ones is televisions. and i don't understand. i mean, if i can make a plea to sheila kuehl and

i live in l.a. county, which is being taken to its knees by the mag attitude of the virus outbreak, and the president has simply been awol for months from his job. he's like the navy captain that walked under bridge when the ship was under fire to save himself. what's striking again, we just come back to the same story -- for months and months, not a peep of complaint from republicans in congress as he has really abandoned americans at this critical moment. and even the impeachment vote -- yeses ten republican vote to remove him, but you can certainly argue this was the single most egregious act by a president ever. i refer to doug brinkley if he can find something else. but i think when liz cheney said no president has -- his oath of office for thoroughly, i think she's right. to look at only ten republicans think this is worth worthy of sanction, it's -- >> it's head scratching. we're learning the president has been talking to steve bannon of all people in recent weeks. what's this all about? >> well, st

l.a. county health officials are warning about the next potential super spreader event, the super bowl. restaurants are being urged to avoid repeating events to the run up to the world series and nba finals when crowds packed outdoor patios. those large gatherings are believed to be a major factor in the deadly surge in l.a. county. >>> here is the sierra. our roving camera showing the fresh powder from overnight. there were spinouts and avalanche risks leaving drivers stranded for hours. in a battle to travel, the winter storm came out on top this time. the highway 80 route was backed up to for miles. crews came to the rescue of drivers that took a bat gamble on the back roads and lost. >> we are trying to get to home wood, the first trip of the year. it may not be quite right. >> we have chains to go on top of the tires if necessary. >> travelers were happy to be heading to the snow no matter how long it would take and even dancing. >> heavy snow hitting southern california mountains. this is t

one note there, that 45,000 number is for the entire state of california, not just for l.a. countyclarify, but this is still a dire situation. when you look, for example, at what has happened in san jose, silicon valley, there's one hospital there. 44 employees have tested positive for the coronavirus between december 27thth and january 1st, we now know that one of the these medical workers, who worked on christmas day, has now passed away. the reason why this is important. they're thinking this outbreak here could be traced back to an inflatable costume that was air powered that one of the staff members wore to lift spirits in christmas. they're thinking that could have been the force behind that. this is obviously noteworthy, because anyone who has tested positive can't work. what we're seeing here in california is the fact you may have other hospitals that could be opened, other places to put patients is great and all, but it doesn't matter if you don't have the nurses, the doctors, the medical personnel to man them. i spoke to one nurse who told me they're working 8 to 1. eight

. >> reporter: about every 10 minutes, every 10 minutes in l.a. county only dies from covid 19. and e.r. nurse who worked doubles for months on end, a recent retiree who dreamt of finally traveling the world. >>> unless you work for emergency medical services, or at these hospitals, or you have been a patient, i know it is hard to understand the scope and the scale of the disaster that is happening. there is no doubt, and i will tell you right now, we are in the midst of a disaster. >> reporter: in an effort to encourage people to stay home, the l.a. county permit a public health is tweeting every 10 minutes until midnight, highlighting a life loss this year in the pandemic. >> it is meant to help us honor all of the people who have passed away but also serve as a reminder that each of us has a responsibility and an opportunity to save lives as we enter into the new year. >> reporter: neighborhood meal delivery person who saw all of the kids grow up, a new mom, a world war ii veteran, and grandma who always try to feed her grandchildren even when they said they were not hungry.

essential workers and their families especially vulnerable in hard-hilt l.a. countyht now because there is so much spread, we're also recommending that people keep their face coverings on while they're inside the home. >> reporter: hospitalizations in l.a. county soaring. up more than 680% since november 1st. daily reported deaths skyrocketing more than 1400%. >> this slide is a very real reminder of our failures to protect each other. >> reporter: meantime, in tuscaloosa overnight, massive crowds celebrating alabama's national title, prompting superspreader concerns. the state mask mandate still in place, though in crowd, tough to tell. rising hospitalizations in central texas triggering new rollbacks. nationwide, hovering around 130,000. the country adding more than 200,000 new cases a day for the last seven days. in that same time, reporting more than 20,000 covid deaths including this 37-year-old mother who died just three days after giving birth to her sixth child. >> death is the grave teacher to impel us to all lead a more meaningful life and god know we need

listen to the latest statistics right out of l.a. county. 269 new deaths. we have more than 15,000 deaths in l.a. county and 5,000 of those since december 30th. how do you get after this problem? well, as i said, they're starting these vaccination sites, these megasites throughout the county. this one at the forum. people described that same sense that you said, frustration. they were trying to get an appointment. they got on to websites that sometimes broke down. they couldn't make a phone call. when people got their shot today, never have you heard somebody so happy to be stuck in the arm with a needle. >> relief. relieved. the hunt for trying to get it has stopped. now i got the first one. i'll just wait for the message to come back for the second one. >> how long did you hunt? >> from the beginning of time. from the beginning when this started. >> and i feel great. i don't want to be actually away from my kids and grand kids. i want to be able to hug them and kiss them and be with them. >> reporter: a very sweet sentiment indeed. the county supervisor h

in l.a. county someone dies there every 15 minutes. demand far exceeding capacity. ambulance crews being told not to transport patients with little chance of survival to conserve oxygen use. >> we're waiting two, three, four hours minimum. now we have to drive even further. just to get to the hospital and then wait another three hours. >> bless those workers that have to make those horrible decisi s decisions. the rollout is still gatherings speed. only four states have administered even half of their doses. the fda fushing back on ideas to speed things up by giving half doses or only one dose instead of two. but with insistent frts, some areas are running out of vaccine like hard hit el paso, texas. >> will there be a lag time waiting for the next shipment? >> the city of el paso has no vaccines in stock. >> also this morning, concerns about a possible superspreader event in the house of representatives. congresswoman cay granger of texas tested positive for coronavirus. she was on the house floor on sunday during the reelection of ho

l.a. county's new rules. they came out just yesterday.hey said they did not have enough preparation time to rehire employees, to prepare and get the tables that are eight feet apart, et cetera, et cetera. there's a lot of regulations here. they're quite stiff. they say they will open eventually, but they just weren't ready to do so this weekend. >> paul vercammen, thanks for bringing the latest from los angeles. >>> a new study says that rates of coronavirus infections are lower for kids who are in school rather than out of school. the former education secretary under president obama, arne duncan, joins me live to discuss. ♪ ok everyone, our mission is to provide complete, balanced nutrition for strength and energy. whoo-hoo! great tasting ensure with 9 grams of protein, 27 vitamins and minerals, and nutrients to support immune health. bottom line is, mom's love that land o' frost premium sliced meats have no by-products. (his voice) “baloney!” (automated voice) has joined the call. (voice from phone) hey, baloney here. i thought this was

in hard hit l.a. county cedar sinai nurses fighting back tearsy the growing number of patients. >> things are really bad. we're overwhelmed. we're stressed. we're stretched so thin. it's pretty unimaginable. we're breaking. >> reporter: california experiencing 585 deaths in one 24-hour period this week. l.a. county supervisor requesting the hospital navy ship "mercy" return. all of this as some mostly maskless events continue like this prayer event hosted by actor kirk cameron. in new york authorities cracking down on new year's celebrations shutting down illegal clubs as the state marked its deadliest day since may. in north carolina construction for a field hospital starting overnight. georgia re-opening an atlanta field hospital. across the state lisa martin's family nearly losing all hope. the mom of four in a coma. following directions from her will they almost took her off the ventilator. >> that was the darkest day of my life. that moment right there when i'm looking at my wife, her eyes were open and

that includes restaurants here in l.a. county they opened today with new restrictions, tough rules among them. stables have to be 8 feet apart, no more than six people at a table and then a rule that is really bothering some of the restauranteurs is they say they want to be allowed to have televisions especially for the super bowl. right now they can't. >> if you put people out of safe spaces for super bowl, you are putting them literally in danger and putting them into homes and house parties which will take place. so, please, have some common sense. let us use the tvs. give us the chance to keep people safe and give them a little bit of community because that's what people need right now. i don't know what else to do other than get on my knees and just pray or beg, you know, like let's use some common sense here. >> reporter: there are 1,830,000 food services worker jobs in california according to restaurant.org. a lot of celebration. down the street one restaurateur actually started the macarena. ♪ ♪ >> that's from casa vega.

discovered which is not uncommon the state is now the first to surpass three million infections >> l.a. county, the covid capitol hit 1 million cases. it is hardly the only region in trouble. >> reporter: with no state masks mandate, it ranks among the highest -- >> the virus does not respect the human body it destroys your lungs and heart and there is nothing you can do. >> reporter: some funeral homes are so overwhelmed, families are waiting weeks to bury loved ones while others cnglig onto hope. >> i have two young men in their 20s fighting for their lives i know it is not going to end well >> reporter: the grim reality on the frontlines during the darkest days of the pandemic miguel almaguer, nbc news. >> all this underscores the urgent need to get vaccinated. millions are still asking where and when big businesses are pitching in here is stephanie gosk with that >> reporter: the vaccine is rolling out and frustration. >> you try to call back and you get a busy signal. no dates available >> reporter: not enough appointments of supplies jay inslee is critical of the federal distribution >>

more worried about this >> reporter: the state is to surpass 3 million infections in california l.a. county just hit 1 million cases, it is hardly the only region in trouble. in arizona, it ranks among the highest in the world for new cases and its death rates. >> this virus does not respect the human's body it destroys the lungs and heart and there is nothing we can do >> reporter: some funeral homes are overwhelmed, families are waiting weeks to burley loved ones while others are clinging onto hope. >>> i have two young men in their 20s, both fighting for their lives. i know this is not going to end well >> reporter: the grim reality on the frontlines during the darkest days of the pandemic miguel almaguer, nbc news. >> all this underscores the urgent need to get vaccinated. millions are asking where and when now big businesses are pitching in here is stephanie gauss. >> tried to call back and you get a busy signal. january, march, no dates available. nothing. >> we have been frustrated >> reporter: jay inslee critical of the federal distribution. >> they started by cutting our doses in h

i'm worried about the health care workers and all those, particularly an l.a. county doctor describing the overwhelmed hospital and intensely sick covid patients as calling it mentally, physically, emotionally draining. what's your reaction to hearing that? do you think a lot of doctors are experiencing that same feeling? there is a frustration that we keep saying the same thing over and over again? here's how you can help -- people just aren't doing it? >> alex, i'm with you 100%. we're all frustrated seeing this and i want to say there are a lot of people out there doing the right thing. these people should be thanked for really taking the initiative to stay home, do the right thing. but we really are at risk. the doctor you mentioned is not wrong. this is a war against a virus. we all need to be taking part in this wartime effort to be able to beat this very, very -- very, very wily enemy we have, this virus who is becoming more fit, more capable of spreading. the danger is increasing. i try to explain to people here, for example, the risk today is much greater tha

man: if we just think about l.a. county, you're going from sea level to 10,064 feet when you get up to mt. san antonio. when you think about that elevational range, which is the greatest elevational rangof any county in the united states, there's a diverse suite of habitats in there, and that includes habitat that might be right along the busiest freeway in the country...but it also includes places where mountain lions live. i mean, it's just this place of absolutely incredible diversity when it comes to thinking about types of habitat and types of species that are thriving here. man: h, i thought i told you guys to get out of here. now, go. come on. get out of here. male reporter: we have a mom and her kids all going for a nice, refreshing swim all at the exact same time. woman: there is a hidden jungle in cities like los angeles, and a hidden savannah and hidden wetlands, and other kinds of ecosystems. pauly: there's no magic line where nature stops and city begins. it's all a giant matrix. and in the most urbanized parts

they are dealing with >> reporter: hospitals remaining over run there is measurable progress in l.a. county, the numbers are encouraging but still worrisome. >> the end is not yet insight. >> reporter: while americans know wearing a mask is for protection, only about half say they only comply when coming into close contact with others >> experts insist as americans defy precautions, the death toll will rise. >> we watch for a months now people losing their family members and shocking when it happens to you and yourself. >> reporter: tom peachy lost his fight to covid in the hospital where he saved lives >> my father-in-law paid a price trying to help others. >> reporter: a member of theirs losing the battle. miguel almaguer, nbc news. >>> why a black hawk helicopter crash on a train mission killing three national guard members the soldiers were honored after their bodies were recovered from the crash site >>> with the election firmly behind us, voters are taking a new measure as what they believe he should deliver. we hear from many voters >> reporter: as the biden presidency begins, we ask