COVID-19 Cases Increasing while Local Hospital Capacity is Decreasing
In the last two months, Kings County Department of Public Health (KCDPH) has seen a significant increase of COVID-19 cases within Kings County residents. Hospitals throughout the region are experiencing increases in hospital admissions and have extremely limited capacity, worse than what occurred during last winter’s surge.
The Central California Emergency Medical Services Agency (CCEMSA) has implemented their “assess and refer” process due to local hospitals not having enough hospital beds to treat the amount of incoming patients. This policy allows ambulance personnel to assess patients and determine the need for them to be transported to the hospital. All patients that do not meet the criteria to be transferred are being referred to urgent care, health clinics, or their primary providers.
“We need the community to understand the severity of the situation that we are facing across the Central Valley. This surge is affecting all patients in the hospital, not just COVID positive patients”, says Heather Silva, Assistant Director of Kings County Department of Public Health.
“We urge everyone to physically distance themselves from others, wear face coverings when they’re out of their homes, and stay home when they’re sick.”
KCDPH encourages everyone to get vaccinated and take measures to protect themselves and their loved ones from COVID-19. Increasing the vaccine rate of Kings County and the surrounding counties is the most effective way to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and lessen the impact on local hospitals.
Health officials stress the following best practices known to limit the spread of COVID-19:
–Get vaccinated; to schedule an appointment visit: https://myturn.ca.gov/.
–Wear a face covering, regardless of your vaccine status, to protect yourself and those who cannot get vaccinated at this time.
–Get Tested.
–Stay home if you are sick or have COVID-19 symptoms.
Visit www.kingscovidinfo.com for current information and guidance.
