Pa. ‘looking at every option’ to add hospital capacity as coronavirus cases grow
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Health officials fear younger Pennsylvanians are ignoring state orders meant to slow the rise of coronavirus cases and could create a strain on the state’s hospitals and health care systems.
“We are seriously concerned that individuals in the 20 to 44 age range are not heeding the message to stay home and are creating an unnecessary risk to themselves and others,” Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said Friday.
The Department of Health reported 268 covid-19 cases across 26 counties – a jump of 83 cases from the day before. There are now positive cases in nearly 40% of the state’s counties. Of the 268 cases, 26 patients have been hospitalized – about 10%.
Levine said state health officials are working with health care systems, hospitals and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency to calculate how many more beds will be needed to care for covid-19 patients.
“We are looking at every option to add capacity to our hospital systems,” she said. “We are looking at space considerations, staffing and supplies of necessary equipment as well as standards of care for treatment.”
That includes thinking outside the box, Levine said.
“We are talking about possibly asking ambulatory surgical centers to (take in) less ill patients,” she said. “We’re talking about whether some acute beds could be created in hotels. All of that planning is happening right now.”
Levine said the exponential growth in cases shows the need for Gov. Tom Wolf’s “aggressive” steps to close non-life-sustaining businesses to prevent the spread of covid-19.
“I cannot allow these surging numbers to overwhelm our people, our health care workers and our hospitals,” Wolf said. “Limiting exposure by closing physical locations means fewer Pennsylvanians will become sick at the same time, fewer Pennsylvanians will die, and we can prevent worst-case scenarios for our health care professionals.”
He called the current situation uncharted waters.
“We’re going to do the best we can to help prevent our hospital system from crashing,” he said. “This is going to get more difficult before it gets better.”