Begs public to take precautions, avoid overwhelming system
(Update: Add Video, Comments From St. Charles Official)
BEND, Oregon (KTVZ) – St. Charles Bend said Friday it nearly doubles in COVID-19 hospitalizations in 24 hours, from six to eleven, and urged residents to take precautions to avoid overwhelming the hospital’s capacity in the following days. and weeks
Hospital spokesman Ben Salmon told NewsChannel 21 that the hospital had six patients with COVID-19 on Thursday and 11 as of Friday afternoon. Two were in the intensive care unit, he said, and one was on a ventilator.
“While the numbers seem ‘low’, the concern is the exponential growth we are seeing both in the Central Oregon case count and in our hospitalizations,” the St. Charles Health System said in a Facebook post.
“Exponential growth is attributed to behavior in the past few weeks and shows no signs of slowing down. Our concern is that as we move forward this holiday weekend, we will add fuel to a fire that is already burning too hot. We need everyone’s help this end. week and in the coming weeks to curb the spread of COVID-19. “
Dr. Jeff Abasalon, the hospital’s chief medical director, told NewsChannel 21 on Friday: “We all know that there is a strong desire to return to normal, in terms of our day-to-day interactions.”
“However, what I really think is important for people to know is that if we are not careful about how we interact with others, we will continue to spread the virus that causes covid-19 disease,” he said.
“And for these reasons, we recommend that everyone adhere to the guidelines for social distancing or physical distancing, wear a mask at all times when in public, wash your hands and limit your interactions,” Absalon said.
Here is the full press release from the St. Charles Health System:
In St. Charles, COVID-19 hospitalizations have nearly doubled in the past 24 hours, and our data model shows that we are headed for a higher increase than we experienced in April.
The bottom line is that if behavior doesn’t change in our community, we will exceed the capacity of our health system in the coming weeks.
We know that people are looking forward to celebrating the holiday weekend with family and friends. However, we are not in a position to celebrate the way we are used to. After the Memorial Day weekend meetings, COVID-19 cases accelerated. This virus does not take a vacation, and our actions will now determine where we stand later in July.
To keep you, your loved ones, and your community safe, we urge you to:
1. Stay home if you feel sick.
2. Think hard about your July 4th plans. Consider celebrating at home this year and limit your interactions to a very small group of people.
3. If you go out in public, it is absolutely vital that you wear a mask at all times.
4. Follow the physical distancing guidelines.
5. Wash your hands. Wash your hands. Wash your hands.
St. Charles Health System has been preparing for a wave of COVID-19 patients since January, and our facilities remain a safe place for care of any kind. If you experience a medical emergency and need to seek care, feel free to visit a St. Charles hospital.
