COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are rising rapidly in Washington, and with some hospitals already experiencing staffing shortages due to hospital outbreaks, providers are anxious about how the situation may accelerate after Thanksgiving, reports local news station KING 5.
"I am terrified about two weeks from Thanksgiving. I mean, truly, about what that could look like," Cassie Sauer, CEO of the Washington State Hospital Association, told KING 5.
St. Michael Medical Center in Bremerton reported at least four patients and two employees who have tested positive for the coronavirus as of Nov. 9. In Tacoma, community spread led to 12 St. Joseph Medical Center employees testing positive. The quick moving numbers have healthcare workers worried whether they'll have the resources needed to address the increase.
"Hospital preparedness is more than having enough beds and ventilators," Jayson Dick, BSN, RN, associate director of labor advocacy at the Washington State Nurses Association, told KING 5. "It's about having enough staff to take care of patients."
The association also reported some hospitals are experiencing shortages of personal protective equipment.
The state reported 1,883 cases Nov. 11, bringing the state's total confirmed cases to 123,356. There have been 9,178 hospitalizations and 2,507 deaths.
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