(WXYZ) — Beaumont Health officials are sounding the alarm Thursday morning, pleading with the public to follow COVID safety guidelines and get vaccinated as their hospitals and staff have hit "critical capacity levels."
“Our COVID-19 numbers are climbing higher and faster and it’s very troubling and alarming to see this,” said Beaumont Health CEO John Fox in a press release. “We are grateful for the knowledge attained from the first two surges. It has helped save many lives. We also now have effective vaccines. To flatten the curve again, we all need to work together now: wear masks, wash hands, avoid large gatherings, practice social distancing and get vaccinated. We cannot do this alone. We need everyone’s help immediately.”
At a press conference Wednesday with Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, MDHHS Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun also mentioned the surge Michigan hospitals are facing.
According to the Beaumont Health, the number of COVID-19 patients have jumped at Beaumont from 128 on Feb. 28 to more than 800 patients currently. They note they have exceeded the volume from last fall.
“The new COVID-19 variants are more contagious. The patients we are seeing are younger and some are sicker and in need of intense medical attention,” Dr. Nick Gilpin, Beaumont’s medical director of Infection Prevention and Epidemiology, said in a release.
Dr. Gilpin also noted that younger patients seem to be waiting longer to get care, and arriving at the hospital with "intense illness."
The health system says that all of Beaumont's hospitals are open to all patients needing health care. That includes emergency visits, testing and surgery.
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