California Requests, 5,000 More Body Bagsbr and Refrigerated Trucks, as COVID-19 Cases Surge.br On Tuesday, California Governor Gavin Newsombr announced that the state is preparing for itsbr “most intense” COVID-19 surge to date. .br There is light at the end of the tunnel, but we'rebr still in the tunnel … And that means we're goingbr through perhaps the most intense and urgentbr moment since the beginning of this pandemic, Gavin Newsom, via NBC News.br 5,000 more body bags have been distributedbr to San Diego, Los Angeles and Inyo counties. .br 60 53-foot refrigerated trucks have been requestedbr to remain on standby for counties and hospitals. .br In addition, California is activating itsbr mass fatality program and coroner mutual aid, whichbr will coordinate coroner and morgue responses. .br On Tuesday, California reported 34,216br new cases of COVID-19, bringing the state’sbr total up to at least 1,655,000 cases. .br An anticipated 12 percent of those newbr cases will wind up hospitalized, with 12 percent of thosebr hospitalized requiring admittance into the ICU.br That means that the amount of reportedbr COVID-19 cases in one day may producebr 3,900 hospitalizations and nearly 500 ICU patients.br As of Dec.