California county's 'explosion' of deaths from homicide surge, COVID cause backlog of bodies at coroner
Fox News
A coroner’s office in northern California is grappling with a growing backlog of bodies as coronavirus-related procedures delay autopsies by weeks and an uptick in homicides and overdose deaths amounts to what one official described as “an explosion of people dying,” according to a report.
The onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 ushered in an "an explosion of people dying," Bordi said. But the pace of deaths has not slowed over the past two years, as Oakland experiences a surge in homicides and the region continues to grapple with an overdose crisis.
The Alameda County coroner recorded 4,031 deaths in 2019, 5,233 in 2020 and 5,622 last year, according to data obtained by the newspaper through a public records request. Last year, the bureau handled 165 homicides, including 139 individuals who died from gunshot wounds.