Peconic Bay Medical Center Suspends Visitation Due To COVID-19

RIVERHEAD, NY — Peconic Bay Medical Center has suspended visitation in light of Suffolk County's spiraling COVID-19 positivity rates.

According to Executive Director Amy Loeb, there has been a "tremendous increase 'in community COVID cases. Providing an update on how PBMC is faring, Loeb said as of Friday, staffing levels allow the hospital to maintain all services.

"Fortunately, the number of patients with COVID admitted in the hospital still are about half of what the number was this time last year and far fewer are requiring ICU level care so far," she said.

The numbers are proof, Loeb said that vaccinations and boosters, masking, hand washing and testing "are all simple, but effective, steps that have profoundly impacted the perilousness of the COVID-19 virus."

To that end, PBMC is taking every precaution to protect patients and staff, she said. "Given the community positivity rate, visitation has been suspended. This is not an easy decision for us and we will liberalize visitation as soon as possible. The volunteer program has been suspended and will resume as soon as it is prudent."

The emergency department has been seeing record numbers of patients, Loeb said. While urgent care sites are closing due to staffing issues islandwide, PBMC said its Manorville immediate care site remains open and operational seven days a week and also with record numbers of patients.

"While the number of patients admitted in the hospital with COVID is about half of last year, the number of Emergency Department visits is roughly double," she said.

PBMC has worked with Northwell Health to set up a drive-up PCR test site at the Mercy Campus in Riverhead so the community can get tested closer to home and help reduce the spread to others; since opening Tuesday, the site has already served more than 3,000 community members, Loeb said

To make an appointment, click here. People can also drive up without an appointment. There is a capacity of 750 tests per day and the site will close when capacity is reached.

This article originally appeared on the Riverhead Patch