UMMC chief says ICU beyond capacity

University of Mississippi Medical Center Vice Chancellor LouAnn Woodward says the intensive care unit at the hospital is overflowing because of COVID-19.

CLEAR ..THERE IS MASSIVE STRESSON THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM ANDTHIS HOSPITAL.

SHE CALLED FOR ASTATEWIDE MASKMANDATE AND DELAY FOR SCHOOLSSTARTINGBEFORE THE GOVERNOR'SORDER...ADMITTING THEY NEED SOMERELIEF.

" IT IS TOUGH.

IT IS TOUGH." INAN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW...THE HEAD OF UMMC SAYS THEHOSPITAL ANDSTAFF ARE BEING PUSHED TO THELIMIT INTRYING TO TREAT THE SEEMINGLYNEVERENDING FLOW OF COVID 19PATIENTS"WE HAVE A CRUNCH ON OUR ICUBEDS.I CHECKED JUSTBEFORE I CAME OVER HERE SO IWOULD HAVE FRESH NUMBERS... WEARE NEGATIVE 14 ICU BEDS.

WHATTHAT MEANS IS WE HAVE 14PATIENTS SOMEWHERE IN THEHOSPITALTHEY ARE EITHER BEING HELD INTHEEMERGENCY DEPARTMENT, OR THEYARE BEING HELD IN THE RECOVERYROOM OR OTHER PLACES THAT NEEDAN ICU BED AND THERE ISNONE AVAILABLE."WOODWARD CALLED FOR A DELAY TOTHE START OFSCHOOLS EARLIER THIS WEEK,ADMITTING IT IS INTHE HOPES IT MIGHT BRING SOMERELIEF TOPACE OF PATIENTS AND POSITIVECORONOVIRUTESTIN"I DON'T WANT TO BE IN A PLACEWHERE KIDS RUSH BACK TO SCHOOLAND TRYING TO BE ON TIME ANDTHEN,IN JUST A FEW WEEKS, WE END UPHAVING TO SHUT THINGS DOWN ANDI THINK IT IS BETTER TO PHASE ITIN AND FOR THE TEACHERS TO BEPREPAREDA STATEWIDE MASK MANDATE IS NOWINPLACE, SOMETHING SHE ADMITS SHEWANTED THAVE STARTED SOONER."I AM GLAD THAT WE HAVE DONE IT.ITHINK IF WE HAD DONE IT EARLIERTHAT WE WOULD HAVE, BY NOW, WEWOULD BE SEEING THE BENEFITS,BUTNOW IS NOT THE TIME TO BANDTOGETHER AND SAY ... HINDSIGHTIS20-20... WE ARE WHERE WE ARE." WOODWARD ADMITS THE PACE ISTAKING IT'S TOLL ON THE MEDICALSTAFF AND THERE IS CONCERN ABOUTTHE STATUS OF PPE'S ...NOTTODAY, ORFOR TOMORROW BUT FOR OCTOBER.THIS IS A HOSPITAL LOOKING AT APOSSIBLE SHORTFALL OF BETWEEN 60AND 100 MILLIONDOLLARS.I ASKED HER ABOUT THEPOSSIBILITY OF MORELAYOFFS...I'LL TELL YOU WHAT SHESAID AT SIX.LIVE IN JACKSON SCOTT SIMMONS 16WAPT NEWS.

THE GOVERNOR HOLDING ANOTHERPRESSCONFERENCE TODAY TO