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哥伦布、匹兹堡及各地消息
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Governor DeWine Provides Update On COVID-19
Hospitalizations and Ohio National Guard Deployment
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(COLUMBUS, Ohio)— Ohio
Governor Mike DeWine announced today that he has ordered the
mobilization of an additional 1,250 members of the Ohio National
Guard to support hospitals with the most critical needs across the
state. The mobilization comes on the same day the state set an
all-time high for the total number of COVID-19 hospitalizations
during the pandemic.
The Ohio Hospital Association reported today that 5,356 people are
currently hospitalized with COVID-19. One in four patients are
COVID-19 positive. This surpasses the previous hospitalizations
record of 5,308 on Dec. 15, 2020. Of today’s hospitalizations, 1,228
patients are in the ICU, which is approaching the record high of
1,318 ICU patients reported on Dec. 15, 2020.
Ohio National Guard Deployment
As hospitals struggle with staffing to support the surge in COVID-19
patients, Governor DeWine announced during a press conference today,
that he has asked Major General John C. Harris, Jr., Adjutant
General, Ohio National Guard, to mobilize an additional 1,250
members of the Ohio National Guard, bringing the total deployment of
National Guard members working with Ohio’s healthcare systems to
2,300 members.
“This is not something we take lightly... We are asking them to
leave their families, their jobs and homes. This is a huge
sacrifice,” Governor DeWine said.
Governor DeWine previously authorized the deployment of 1,050 Ohio
National Guard members on Friday, Dec. 17. Major General Harris said
the Ohio National Guard’s goal is to augment hospitals’ medical
staff and wraparound services. Teams including nurses and medics
will provide clinical care and non-medical teams will offer support
services such as food service, patient transportation within
facilities, and administrative support.
Approximately 460 Guard members are deployed in the Cleveland area;
more than 160 in the Toledo area; about 100 in Columbus area.
Smaller numbers of the Guard will be deployed in the coming days in
Mansfield, Dayton, and Lima to support hospitals. Guard personnel
are also supporting testing sites in Cleveland and Akron.
“The National Guard has been indispensable,” said Robert Wyllie, MD,
Chief Medical Operations Officer, Cleveland Clinic.
The Ohio Department of Health and the Ohio Hospital Association are
working daily with Ohio hospitals to assess staffing needs to
determine the most appropriate support from the Ohio National Guard.
“Everybody agreed when the decision was made to send in the National
Guard to our hospitals … All the way through this, we are going to
be guided by where they are needed most today. It should give people
confidence that everybody is on the same page here. Let’s deploy
them where they are needed the most,” Governor DeWine said.
Hospitals
Hospitals have been taking extraordinary measures to manage this
COVID-19 surge, including postponing elective surgeries, while
battling staffing shortages as a result of COVID-19 infection or
exposure, and burnout.
The northern parts of Ohio have been particularly hard hit,
especially the greater Cleveland area, where one in three patients
are COVID-19 positive, including ICU patients, according to OHA
data.
“The hospital systems are under significant stress in Northern
Ohio,” Dr. Wyllie said. “We are running 2,000 tests a day. Let me
tell you about those tests: 36% of the people going into the Walker
Center for testing are testing positive for COVID.”
Statewide, the COVID-19 positivity rate is 25%, according to Ohio
Department of Health data.
The state’s strategic hospital zone and region structure has allowed
hospitals to work together with neighboring hospitals to balance the
load of patients. This structure continues to be vital as cases and
hospitalizations dramatically rise statewide and staffing remains a
significant concern.
While Southwest Ohio is not seeing the same volume of patients as
northern parts of the state, Richard P. Lofgren, MD, President and
Chief Executive Officer, UC Health, expressed concerns about the
surge in cases making its way across the entire state during the
coming weeks.
“Unfortunately, the pandemic is not over … we are seeing more cases
now than we have ever seen along the way,” he said. “Now, the spread
of Omicron is adding fuel to this raging fire. One of the things
that I want to make sure that people understand, is that this not
only affects the care of people with COVID, but also affects people
who don’t have COVID. It squeezes out our ability to take care of
patients with other life-serious or life-threatening problems, such
as heart attacks and strokes.”
Governor DeWine also spoke with Jennifer Hollis, a critical care
nurse at OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, about
her experience in the hospital.
“I just want everybody to be able to walk a mile in my shoes and
kind of understand as a critical care nurse, what I am seeing when I
am coming into work. It is beyond difficult,” Hollis said. “Our beds
are full. There is nowhere else to go, and we are just as
short-staffed as everyone else is seeing as well … We are tired, we
are frustrated, and we want the best for all of our patients.”
Hollis urged Ohioans to get vaccinated to protect themselves, their
loved ones, and their communities. “I’ll continue to fight for you,
when you won’t fight for yourself. Please get vaccinated. Quarantine
if you are symptomatic. Get tested,” she said.
Vaccination, prevention
Governor DeWine emphasized that the COVID-19 vaccines remain a
powerful tool to keep people out of the hospital. Since June 1,
2021, there have been 35,962 admissions, and 92.5% of those have
been among people who are not fully vaccinated.
Now more than ever, it’s critical to follow prevention strategies
including getting vaccinated, getting a booster shot if eligible,
wearing face masks, washing your hands frequently, getting tested,
and staying home if sick, even if symptoms are mild.
“We are looking now at an impact of COVID-19 that is unlike anything
we’ve seen before in this pandemic,” said Bruce Vanderhoff, MD, MBA,
Director, Ohio Department of Health. “We have access to a powerful
tool that can really shield us from the worst outcomes of COVID-19,
and that is vaccination.”
As of today, more than 6.9 million Ohioans have received at least
their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. That’s 63% of those Ohioans
eligible (ages 5 and older). More than 2.6 million have received an
additional dose, or a booster dose.
Masking in Schools
Today, the Ohio Hospital Association also distributed a letter from
the Ohio Hospital Association and Ohio Children’s Hospital
Association to Ohio school superintendents, administrators and
school board members encouraging them to implement a masking
requirement when students return from the holiday break. A masking
requirement in schools will help limit community spread of COVID-19
and keep students in school, the letter said.
Holidays
Dr. Vanderhoff encouraged Ohioans to celebrate safely this holiday
weekend so we can all have a healthy start to 2022. “As we get ready
to ring in a new year, please, think about the steps you can take to
prevent COVID-19 spread before you gather. Keeping vaccinations up
to date, appropriate testing, staying home if you feel the least bit
sick, masking especially in crowded indoor environments, proper
ventilation, and regular handwashing can all help prevent the spread
of COVID-19, flu, and other illnesses this season |
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