The Fairview Developmental Center in Costa Mesa is one of several field hospitals, or “alternate care sites,” expected to close in coming weeks as the state dials back some of its emergency provisions to address the coronavirus outbreak.
Fairview, which opened April 20, will stop taking patients as of June 30 and go into a “warm shutdown,” which means it will be kept ready in case of a surge in COVID-19 cases, but will won’t be actively operating, a news release from the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services said.
Data from Orange County shows that as of May 15, 16 patients had been treated at Fairview – half each from Orange and Los Angeles counties. The facility was intended for people with milder symptoms that needed some medical attention, but not high-level care.
“Because of the great work of Californians across the state we have flattened the curve,” Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, said in the state’s release. “This is why the stay-at-home order was issued, to save lives and to give the health care delivery system time to prepare.”
Among other medical sites expected to close soon are Sacramento’s Sleep Train Arena on May 30; and Seton Hospital in Daly City, Los Angeles Surge Hospital and Porterville Developmental Center on June 30. The U.S Navy hospital ship Mercy completed its service and left the Port of Los Angeles May 15, though some of its crew members stayed behind to staff Fairview.
The arena and developmental centers will be also placed in warm shutdown and can be reactivated if needed.
Fairview and other such facilities were intended to help reserve hospital space for the sickest patients, but earlier worries that medical facilities could be overwhelmed never came to fruition.
Orange County’s hospital bed count is more than 4,800, but the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 has so far never exceeded 250 at one time. But state officials have said that having capacity to handle a spike in coronavirus cases is an important part of safely reopening businesses, schools and other facilities.
