'Wall-to-wall with patients:' Local doctor issues plea to heed COVID warnings amid surge in cases

As COVID-19 cases continue to surge across Southern California, one local doctor shared what he's seeing at hospitals and says the situation does not look good.

During an interview with Eyewitness News, Dr. Anthony Cardillo, an ER specialist and the CEO of Mend Urgent Care in the Los Angeles area, said the day after Thanksgiving was one of the busiest days in terms of treating COVID positive patients.

He issued a plea for the community to understand the severity of the situation and heed the warnings from public health officials.

"We are dealing with a tremendous surge right now in COVID cases, and we need everyone's cooperation and understanding that this is not a political issue. We need everyone to understand this virus is starting to surge and we're going to have a real difficult winter if we're not careful. We are back-to-back, wall-to-wall with patients in all the facilities throughout Los Angeles dealing with this surge. So please, you're hearing straight from a doctor working on the front lines. Please be careful and mindful of what you're doing out there. Wear your mask constantly whenever you are encountering other people, and please do not go outside if you don't have to interact. Because, we are starting to see the surge we were all concerned about. So please, heed the warnings we are all giving."

The United States on Friday surpassed 13 million coronavirus cases, according to Johns Hopkins University, less than a week after the country passed the 12 million mark.

Watch the video above for the full interview.