BERLIN – Local health officials say a spike in COVID-19 cases is pushing hospitals and testing capabilities to their limits.
As the Delta and Omicron variants continue to spread, local hospital systems and health departments are reporting an uptick in COVID-19 cases and an influx of people seeking COVID-19 tests.
On Wednesday, the state reported 2,046 hospitalizations – surpassing its previous record of 1,952 hospitalizations on Jan. 11, 2021 – and a seven-day average positivity rate of 19.31%. And in Worcester County, the positivity rate increased to 20.58%, exceeding its previous record of 17.51% back in May of 2020.
Local Hospitals Dealing With Surge
In response to the growing health crisis, local hospital systems took to social media this week to remind people to stay away from emergency departments unless it is an actual emergency.
At Atlantic General Hospital, for example, Marketing Director Sarah Yonker noted an influx of people to its emergency department and urgent care center seeking COVID-19 rapid tests.
“We’re asking that anyone who is seeking a rapid COVID-19 test to please visit their primary care provider or check with their local pharmacy for rapid COVID-19 testing,” she said. “The Emergency Room is for life-threatening issues.”
As of Wednesday, Atlantic General reported having 10 inpatients with COVID-19, with two being cared for in the ICU and nine of the 10 patients being unvaccinated.
“Our ICU has been running at near capacity daily,” Yonker said.
She added Atlantic General will continue to keep visitation open for non-COVID patients, as it had during the last surge.
“We understand that families play an important role in patient recovery and care transitions, and we want them involved,” she said. “We did not close our doors to our community and visitors during the last surge. We asked visitors to abide by masking and hand hygiene guidelines and were successful in avoiding any COVID spread from visitors to patients or staff.”
She continued, “We will continue to evaluate risks of visitation. With proper precautions, our success during the last surge, and understanding the benefits of visitors for patient care, we currently plan to continue visitation for our non-COVID positive patients.”
At TidalHealth Peninsula Regional, however, all patient visitation has been suspended, along with elective, non-emergency surgeries requiring an overnight stay.
“A spike in COVID-19 cases, other seasonal illnesses and the many health needs of our communities, coupled with unprecedented workforce constraints have come together to create a perfect storm for healthcare providers,” said Dr. Sarah Arnett, vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer at TidalHealth. “We are taking these steps for the safety of our patients and our healthcare team.”
A directive from the state of Maryland, a sharp increase in COVID-19 rates, high patient volumes and demand for hospital beds at TidalHealth led to the decision to pause certain surgeries, the hospital reports.
“The COVID-19 Omicron variant and the continued presence of the Delta variant are driving high rates of transmission and hospitalization,” said TidalHealth CEO Steve Leonard. “Getting vaccinated can reduce the severity of illness and the risk of transmission and will help take the pressure off our extremely busy facilities.”
In a message posted on social media, the hospital system also discouraged people from using the emergency department for non-life-threatening situations.
“It is important to know, as COVID-19 numbers grow again, our Emergency Departments are experiencing significant volumes of patients needing emergency care,” a Facebook post reads. “Our Emergency Departments are for true emergencies and traumas. We need our teams ready and available to support our community members experiencing real emergencies. TidalHealth does not offer community walk-in or scheduled COVID-19 testing at any of our hospitals or emergency department locations within those hospitals.”
Health Departments Expand Testing
With the new wave in COVID-19 cases, officials say demand for testing and at-home test kits have increased.
To that end, health departments in both Worcester and Wicomico counties have expanded their testing clinics to accommodate more people.
Travis Brown, public affairs officer for the Worcester County Health Department, added the agency has also started to request additional at-home testing kits, which are distributed at the county’s five library branches. The health department noted it has seen far more requests than it has in testing supplies.
“We encourage anyone who would like a kit to call the local library,” he said, adding that the service is available for contactless pickup. “I know we get roughly 300 kits every two weeks from the state, and we should have a shipment coming in between Christmas and New Year’s.”
While acknowledging the usefulness of testing, Worcester County Health Department Public Affairs Officer Summer Widmyer encouraged residents to get the COVID-19 vaccine if they have not already done so. She said clinics are posted on the health department’s website.
“We also recommend that they wear their mask, wash their hands often and practice physical distancing,” she said. “If you are sick stay home, and if you are able to get a test, test after symptoms have been showing for two to three days.”
Brown said the best way for someone to protect themselves is to get the COVID-19 vaccine and booster shot, when eligible.
“We are always mindful of the potential for spreading COVID whenever folks gather together or travel, so the holidays are time we need to be extra careful as a community,” he said. “If you’re not vaccinated and you’re eligible, get vaccinated. If you are traveling or having people over, get tested.”
Brown added that additional information about COVID-19 trends can be found on the state’s website, coronavirus.maryland.gov. While a network security breach earlier this month affected some COVID-19 reporting capabilities, the Maryland Health Department noted Wednesday approximately 95% of state-level surveillance data had been restored.
