Mobile Morgue To Arrive In Santa Monica Amid Pandemic Emergency

SANTA MONICA, CA — With Los Angeles County at the epicenter of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, Santa Monica is adding more measures to prevent the spread of the virus and also bringing in a mobile morgue in anticipation of more deaths.

In a grim sign of the severity of the situation, a refrigerated morgue unit is slated to arrive at the city’s Woodlawn Cemetery, Mausoleum & Mortuary at 1847 14th St. The city manages the cemetery and has provided essential services throughout the health emergency, city officials told Patch.

"The influx of fatalities related to COVID-19 is a growing concern across L.A. County. L.A. County has secured state resources for mass fatality management, and currently has several refrigerated trailers and connex spaces available for decedent storage," city officials said in a statement.

"The City’s Emergency Operations Center proactively procured one refrigerated container unit for Woodlawn Cemetery as a precautionary measure should our local mortuary or local hospitals become overwhelmed," officials said.

"We are committed to ensuring that we have appropriate accommodations for those lost to COVID-19 and other causes and to [prevent] any extra hardship on families that have experienced loss," officials said. "We extend our deepest condolences to everyone in our community who has lost a loved one to this terrible virus."

City officials this week cautioned people to take extra steps to stay safe. “It’s a very hard time across the county, and we need to be aware of that every day,” interim City Manager Lane Dilg said at a Tuesday night City Council presentation. “In Santa Monica, we have 88 individuals who have died from COVID-19, and we have families who are grieving from the loss,” Dilg said.

Santa Monica reported 3,320 coronavirus cases as of Tuesday. That is a 321-case increase over the last seven days, from Jan. 4 to Tuesday.

The pandemic is severely affecting businesses' survival, mental health among residents and families across the county, Dilg said. Cases spiked after Thanksgiving, and county officials are continuing to watch to see if cases spike following the Christmas and New Year's holidays.

The city also moved to close the Santa Monica Pier on Thursday, Friday and upcoming weekends in January, citing upcoming weather conditions. "The extended closure is due to forecasted warm weather and the need for all Los Angeles County residents to remain at home," city officials said.

The area draws too many people to the pier when the weather is good, Dilg said. And this coming weekend, temperatures are expected to reach the 70s. "Weather is relevant to helping stop the spread of the virus, and with good weather coming, the pier will close on the weekends," Dilg said.

Dilg reminded residents that hospitals in Santa Monica and across the county are at capacity. “What that means is that our hospitals are full,” Dilg said. The availability of health care is in jeopardy, she added.

Dilg cautioned that although hospitalizations and hospital data appeared to look better this week, the possibility of another surge is very serious. She also emphasized that people who are working outside of the home, including essential workers, should wear a mask at home, which was advised by county health officials this week. “If you do not need to go out, please do not go out right now,” Dilg said. “If you have a choice to stay home, stay home.”

The public health priority is not to enforce masks in the public right now, but city leaders are calling on the public to help enforce the mask mandate. "Apply some social pressure," Dilg said. "Contact your neighbor. Let them know that you take it seriously and they need to comply. We need social pressure, and we need intense social pressure."

Simply put, people should be embarrassed to be outside without masks, she said. People are also required to wear masks on the Big Blue Bus, which are frequented by essential workers. The city does run enforcement details, citing people who do not wear masks, she added. But these resources are not available everywhere and only target certain areas.

Councilmembers advised people to remain at home and wear masks in public to help save lives. "We’re very concerned about our residents, and we’re trying to keep everyone alive," Councilmember Phil Brock said.

Brock described how his mother rationed food and lived in Santa Monica during World War II. "It’s on all of us," Brock said. "I want to save my neighbors. I want all of us to save each other." Brock also added that the pandemic has had a heartbreaking toll on many families and has affected him personally.

"I've had seven friends die during this pandemic," he said. "Each one of those deaths, I’m torn apart by." He added: “Please, it’s simple: Wear a mask. Consider others. Consider your neighbors. Consider us. We are one community.”

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SEE MORE:

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