Two Maryland hospitals declare 'disaster' as coronavirus cases rise
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A health-care "disaster" was declared at two Maryland hospitals Friday as coronavirus cases have skyrocketed more than 450% in the past month at the facilities, University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health announced.
The medical provider's announcement came as Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, D, announced on Twitter that she had tested positive for the coronavirus and was "experiencing mild symptoms."
"To keep my parents and family safe, we have cancelled Christmas dinner at my house and will be gathering virtually this year," she tweeted. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, R, announced earlier in the week that he had tested positive. Both said they were fully vaccinated and had received booster doses.
With the highly transmissible omicron variant spreading across the region, the emergency declaration by the Maryland health-care provider allows the Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air and the Harford Memorial Hospital in Havre de Grace to modify surgical schedules and redeploy staff to meet a surging demand for care.
Hospital officials described the measure as "unprecedented" for its organization.
"We did not take this decision lightly," Fermin Barrueto, an Upper Chesapeake Health senior vice president, said in a telephone interview. "The demand for our services has outstripped our resources, which includes staffing."
He said the emergency measure is expected to last "days, weeks, but your guess is as good as mine."
Martha Mallonee, a spokesperson for Upper Chesapeake Health, said in an email that the system does not release its case count "because they change too much hour by hour." However, she added that the statistic that remains consistent is that 75% to 80% of patients admitted to the facilities for covid-19 are unvaccinated.
Between the two hospitals, coronavirus cases have increased 458% in the past month, according to the statement. At Upper Chesapeake Medical Center alone, the caseload has increased 733%.
Barrueto said surging cases have coincided with a staffing shortage in the hospitals' intensive care and emergency departments. As has been the case in medical facilities across the country, Barrueto attributed the decrease in staff to "burnout" and "moral distress" among hospital workers.
"It has been a challenge," he said.
Across the region, coronavirus cases are climbing, with Maryland on Thursday reporting 6,869 new positive tests, its highest single-day count since the pandemic's start.
With Maryland's covid-19 hospitalizations rising above 1,500, medical centers were required to institute their pandemic plans. That includes reducing the number of non-urgent or elective procedures and surgeries, transferring patients to other sites, and increasing the number of beds available.
Hogan said in a statement Thursday that he expected "record levels" of hospitalizations in coming weeks, with the unvaccinated "driving the strain on our health care system."
Meanwhile, D.C. has been reporting its own unprecedented number of cases, with a single-day record of 1,904 new cases on Thursday.
Virginia, which is the only one of the three jurisdictions to update numbers Friday, had 8,756 new cases. The state's seven-day average of new cases per 100,000 is now up to 60.16, a level not seen since January's surge.
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