With hospitals reeling, California tells COVID-positive medical workers to stay on the job

LOS ANGELES — Daylong waits in the emergency room. No one to answer the phones. No one to take out the trash. And more patients arriving each day.

That's the scene playing out at some hospitals across Southern California as the omicron-fueled surge of COVID-19 contributes to a crippling shortage of doctors, nurses and other health care workers. While omicron is causing significantly fewer serious illnesses than last year's winter surge, the unprecedented number of people becoming infected has left the medical infrastructure on edge.

State officials are attempting to address California's staffing shortage through a sweeping policy change that allows asymptomatic health care workers who have tested positive for the coronavirus to , without isolation or testing. The policy, set to remain in place through Feb. 1, is designed to keep many health care workers on the job at a time when