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Florida county officials urge residents to use emergency lines sparingly to increase numbers COVID-19[female[feminine cases are overwhelming local hospitals and flooding ambulance services. Mark Schollmeyer, the Brevard County fire chief, explained how the surge creates problems for first responders.
“There is a capacity issue in our local hospitals in the face of this new wave of COVID-19,” Schollmeyer told CBS News. “Overcrowding in the ER has forced us to hold up to the wall and wait for our patients to unload before making the next call.”
Schollmeyer said residents should use 911 sparingly for non-urgent issues and consider other options such as contacting a primary care doctor or using telemedicine before calling ambulance services. “Leave emergencies and ambulance trips to people whose life is in danger or in serious urgent need,” he said.
In recent weeks, the increase in the number of COVID patients admitted to local hospitals has created capacity issues, resulting in backups with ambulance services, Schollmeyer told CBS News.
Brevard County – the 10th largest in the state – reported 3,836 cases of the virus from the week of July 30 to August 5, with a new case positivity rate of 22.6%, according to the Florida Department of Health. Only 19.2% of the county’s hospital beds are available, health officials reported.
Over the past week, the county saw a 24.6% increase in new hospital admissions for COVID-19 patients and an 11% increase in intensive care unit beds used by COVID patients , according to CDC data.
According to County Emergency Director John Scott, all three Brevard County hospital systems reported overcapacity this week, leading to cancellations of elective surgeries and the conversion of regular hospital spaces into designated virus-fighting spaces. He said the outbreak is creating safety concerns for hospital patients who do not have COVID.
Brevard Health Alliance announced this week that it would limit visitors to those “medically necessary” for patient appointments. The county’s largest hospital system, Health First, told Florida Today they had built a refrigerated trailer to use as a potential mortuary to accommodate the influx of COVID-19 patients.
“It is imperative that we pull ourselves together, overcome this and slow down this curve to relieve the stress on our hospital system and our healthcare system so that we can take care of anyone who becomes ill,” Scott said.
He encouraged eligible residents to get vaccinated, wear a face mask and practice social distancing as well as “good hand hygiene.”
“Going back to what we know helps slow the spread when it comes to COVID,” he said.
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