Florida county asks residents to make use of 911 sparingly as COVID hospitalizations surge
Officers in a single Florida county are calling on residents to make use of emergency hotlines carefully as a surge in COVID-19 circumstances overflow native hospitals and inundate ambulance providers. Mark Schollmeyer, the Brevard County fireplace chief, defined how the surge is creating points for first responders.
“There’s a capability difficulty at our native hospitals coping with this new surge in COVID-19,” Schollmeyer advised CBS Information. “Crowding within the ERs has precipitated us to carry the wall and watch for our sufferers to dump earlier than we run the following name.”
Schollmeyer stated residents ought to use 911 sparingly for non-emergency points and think about different choices corresponding to contacting a main care doctor or using telemedicine earlier than calling ambulance providers. “Depart emergency room and ambulance journeys for these with life-threatening or severe emergencies,” he stated.
In current weeks, the surge of COVID sufferers admitted to native hospitals has created capability issues, which causes backups with ambulance providers, Schollmeyer advised CBS Information.
Brevard County — the Tenth-largest within the state — reported 3,836 virus circumstances from the week of July 30 to August 5, with a brand new case positivity charge of twenty-two.6%, in response to the Florida Division of Well being. Solely 19.2% of the county’s hospital beds can be found, well being officers reported.
Prior to now week, the county noticed a 24.6% improve in new hospital admissions for COVID-19 sufferers and an 11% improve in intensive care unit beds utilized by COVID sufferers, in response to knowledge from the CDC.
The three hospital methods in Brevard County have reported being over capability this week, leading to elective surgical procedure cancellations and changing common hospital area into virus-designated areas, in response to the county’s emergency director John Scott. He stated the surge creates security considerations for sufferers hospitalized who would not have COVID.
Brevard Well being Alliance introduced this week that they are going to be limiting guests to these solely who’re “medically needed” for affected person’s appointments. The county’s largest hospital system, Well being First, advised Florida Right now, there’s a refrigerated trailer for use as a possible morgue with a view to accommodate the inflow of COVID-19 sufferers if wanted.
“It’s crucial that we pull collectively, we get by way of this and gradual this curve to alleviate the stress on our hospital system and our healthcare system so we are able to handle everybody who will get sick,” Scott stated.
He inspired eligible residents to get vaccinated, put on a face masks and observe social distancing together with “good hand hygiene.”
“Return to what we all know helps gradual the unfold in terms of COVID,” he stated.
