[ad_1]
(Journalist)
– Austin has decided he needs a hospital more than a convention center right now. With Travis County, the city is preparing the Austin Convention Center as an alternative care site for patients. It will admit people requiring less care, to alleviate the crisis in hospitals in the region. Patients in intensive care and others requiring high level care will always be treated in hospitals, American statesman reports. “When we exceed capacity, we will do so not only for COVID patients, but for everyone in need of hospital care in this community,” a health official said. Coronavirus cases are increasing in the region, with active cases reaching a record 6,055 on Friday. “Our hospitals and intensive care units are filling up and deaths continue to rise across central Texas,” said the head of the local health authority.
The alternative care center will accommodate patients referred by hospitals, based on criteria developed by doctors and hospitals, according to KXAN. The convention center will be open to patients as soon as it has staff available around the clock. The county medical society has appealed for medics to help during the outbreak. The convention center has been on hold since it was prepared over the summer to accommodate 1,500 COVID-19 patients, but none have been admitted. As the capacity of hospitals in the Austin area shrinks, officials believe they will need the building this time around. The head of the health authority once again urged residents to take action to curb the spread of the coronavirus – including staying at home, washing hands, social distancing and wearing masks. “The whole region must act now,” he said. (Read more stories about coronaviruses.)
[ad_2]
Source link