SAN DEIGO (KGTV) -- A group of nurses gathered at the Jacobs Medical Center in La Jolla Sunday night for a candlelight vigil honoring the healthcare workers who lost their lives and the patients they couldn't save.
Dahlia Tayag, chief nurse representative of the California Nurses Association, told 10News they are making a statement, demanding help from officials to get more personal protective equipment for healthcare workers.
"It's really heartbreaking and it's scary because it could happen to any of us," Tayag said.
Tayag compared the ICU to a war zone, and said, "We do not send our military into war without guns."
In San Diego County, 19 people have died from COVID 19.
Officials have not confirmed if any of those are healthcare workers.
UC San Diego Health sent 10News this statement:
Protecting the health, safety and wellbeing of all who enter our hospitals ands clinics is our top priority. UC San Diego Health follows the WHO and CDC’s latest evidence-based guidance for masking. The guidelines represent the latest, empirical analyses by national and international authorities on the most appropriate standards of care.
UC San Diego Health has sufficient supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE), including masks and respirators, to meet the needs for patients and health workers alike.
UC San Diego Health has carefully and responsibly managed its supply of medical equipment since there was early awarenesses of COVID-19. We expect our supplies of protective equipment to be sufficient through the anticipated surge.
Recently, UC San Diego Health expanded its use of face masks for patients, visitors and employees. All who enter our health care facilities are provided a face mask upon entering. PPE is available to nurses to care for any potential patient with COVID-19 in accordance with recommended CDC practice.
Other measures that have been implemented to safeguard our employees and the public are health screenings at our entrances. In addition, we have increased our COVID-19 testing capacity and use of video visits to see patients.