Lee Health CEO describes COVID-19 crisis as ‘darker by the day’

LEE COUNTY, Fla .– Over the weekend, Lee Health surpassed its historic record of currently admitted COVID-19 patients.

Lee Health currently has 447 COVID-19 patients admitted at 4:30 p.m. Monday, the health system said. That’s 28 new patients at Lee Health hospitals since their last update Monday at noon.

“The crisis facing Southwest Florida from the spread of the coronavirus continues to worsen day by day,” said Lee Health President and CEO Dr. Larry Antonucci.

According to the latest update from Lee Health, 66% of healthcare system ventilators and 9% of intensive care rooms are available. Thirty-six COVID-19 patients are on ventilators and 70 are in intensive care.

As of Friday, Lee Health has recorded 177 new COVID-19 hospital admissions and 113 COVID-19 discharges.

Lee Health said 16% of currently admitted COVID-19 patients are fully immunized and Lee Health is at 91% of operational capacity in beds.

Florida set a record for the number of positive cases on Sunday, reporting more than 23,000 new cases. According to Antonucci, one in five cases in America today occurs in Florida.

“Less than 50% of Lee County is vaccinated against COVID-19, and getting the vaccine today could mean the difference between this outbreak which only lasts a few weeks instead of several months,” said Antonucci.

One in four hospital beds in Florida is occupied by someone with COVID-19.

16 children are hospitalized with COVID-19 at Golisano Children’s Hospital on Monday, Lee Health officials said. The number of pediatric patients admitted has doubled since Friday.

Of the 16 COVID-19 pediatric patients, two are in intensive care, health officials said.

Before the last outbreak, Lee Health hospitals had an average of one to two children with COVID-19 in the hospital each day. With school starting this week, authorities expect COVID-19 pediatric hospitalizations to increase.

Health experts are urging parents not to remove their children from the warrant because it may be the only thing keeping children out of the hospital.

“We all have to remember that these numbers that we report are people; they are our friends, our families and our neighbors, ”said Antonucci. “Unfortunately, some of them will not return home. We can all make individual decisions that will save lives.