Outdoor medical tent up at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh

UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh has expanded its emergency department care capacity by setting up an outside medical tent.

Officials said the Lawrenceville hospital plans to begin utilizing the space along 44th Street by Friday afternoon.

“UPMC Children’s has set up a medical tent to expand care capability for those coming to the emergency department,” the health system said in a statement. “The tent is well equipped and will be staffed to help accommodate our patients.”

There are five pediatric intensive care unit beds currently available in Allegheny County, according to data from the Pennsylvania Department of Health. That represents about 6.3% of the total number of pediatric ICU beds in the county.

“UPMC Children’s has the capacity to care for children needing intensive care,” the hospital said in response to an inquiry about bed capacities.

Statewide, 42 pediatric ICU beds are available, meaning just over 10% of such beds in the commonwealth are currently available.

This comes as UPMC, Allegheny Health Network and Excela Health said wait times at their emergency departments are rising amid an influx of covid-19 patients, a nationwide staffing shortage and an overall increase in demand for health care.

Later Friday, UPMC posted a tweet containing a link to covid-19 testing locations.

“The number of children coming to the Emergency Department at UPMC Children’s is historic, says Dr. Ray Pitetti (chief of the hospital’s emergency department),” the tweet said. ” In response, the hospital is opening an ED Fast Track area and establishing an ED medical tent.”

The number of children coming to the Emergency Department at UPMC Children’s is historic, says Dr. Ray Pitetti. In response, the hospital is opening an ED Fast Track area and establishing an ED medical tent. For COVID testing locations near you, click herehttps://t.co/ZqijfqPI6P pic.twitter.com/OWr8kGuqje

— UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh (@ChildrensPgh) September 17, 2021

The number of daily covid-19 related hospitalizations seems to be rising locally and statewide, according to data from the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Covid-19 Early Warning Monitoring System Dashboard.

Excela Health Frick Hospital in Mt. Pleasant recently erected an outdoor medical tent to handle minor cases as their overall patient volume jumped.

Pediatric covid-19 hospitalizations have been on the rise in recent weeks, though health experts still recommended a return to in-person schooling, noting that children typically have milder illness from the virus than adults.

Dr. Debra Bogen, Allegheny County’s health director, earlier this month warned that children were accounting for a larger percentage of covid-19 cases, with kids 12 and under making up 12% of the county’s covid-19 cases in August, up from 9% in June.