UMMC still at max capacity with COVID-19 patients

Officials, at UMMC, say they are still at max capacity for ICU beds.

ARE HAVING OFFICIALS HERE ATUMMC SAY THEY ARE STILL AT MAXCAPACITY FOR ICU BED SPACE INFACT AS OF TUESDAY MORNING,THERE WAS ONLY ONE COVID ICU BEDAVAILABLE.WE ARE BUYING LARGE FULL WE’VEGOT PATIENTS THAT ARE WAITINGFOR US EU BEDS THAT ARE NONCOVID.MMC VICE CHANCELLOR, DR. LOU ANNWOODWARD SAYS THE PERILOUSPROBLEM FACING HOSPITALS ISWHETHER THIS RECENT DECLINE INDAILY CASE NUMBERS ACTUALLYAMOUNTS TO LASTING DECLINES INCOVID-19 PATIENTS NEEDING ICUCARE.I DO EXPECT IN THE NEXT COUPLEOF WEEKS THAT ARE COVID NUMBERSWILL PROBABLY CLIMB BACK UP.I THINK ALL ACROSS THE STATEWERE EXPECTING THAT BOTH FROMTHE STANDPOINT OF THE SCHOOLSOPENING BACK UP.AND THEN ALSO I IMAGINE THEY’LLBE SOME ACTIVITIES OVER THELABOR DAY WEEKEND.UM, SAYS IT IS USED THEREDUCTION TO ATTEND TWOSURGERIES AND OTHER TYPES OFTREATMENTS THAT WERE PUT ON HOLDDURING THE PEAK CASELOAD OF THEPANDEMIC, BUT THE HOSPITAL ISSTILL TRYING TO SECURE NEEDEDADDITIONAL MEDICAL STAFF AT ATIME WHEN THOSE NUMBERS ARE HARDTO FIND.WE’VE GOT A LOT OF PINCH POINTSAND THINGS THAT WE’RE FEELING ORNOT UNIQUE TO US, BUT THERE’SWE’RE SEEING THEM ALL ACROSS THESTATE ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.THERE’S A REAL DEMAND RIGHT NOWFOR NURSING.UM FOR PARTICULARLY ICU NURSES,YOU KNOW YOU THEY ARE THERE INHUGE DEMAND RIGHT NOW, AND WE’RETRYING TO HIRE AS FAST AS WE CANBUT YOU JUST CAN’T CATCH UP WITHTHE DEMAND THE NEXT QUESTION FORYOU AND MC AND OTHER HOSPITALSIS WHETHER IT IS TIME TO STARTMAKING SOME OF THOSE COVID-19ICU BEDS AVAILABLE TO OTHERPATIENTS WITH SO MUCHUNCERTAINTY ABOUT WHERE WE STANDTHE MIDST OF THIS PANDEMIC AT