Two emergency rooms in central Texas have shut down amid a spike in COVID-19 cases in the state.
Hunt Regional Medical Center in Greenville – 50 miles northwest of Dallas- told CNN its Commerce ER location would temporarily close so staff could assist with the large virus surge at the main campus.
Texas Health Hospital in Rockwall – 30 miles northwest – is also closing its ER and transferring staff to the main campus.
The news comes as Texas deals with a massive surge of Covid cases, increasing by 116 percent in the last two weeks leading to few available hospital beds and health systems working to consolidate staff.
Hunt Regional Medical Center has closed its ancillary ER in Commerce, Texas, is order to bring more staff to the main campus and deal with a massive COVID-19 surge in central Texas
Texas Health in Rockwall has temporarily closed down its emergency room to consolidate staff at the main location
Hunt Regional, which closed its ancillary ER on August 6, has been short on staff.
The hospital is also so swarmed with patients, it had to set up tents outside the ER in order to assist additional COVID patients outdoors.
It held a hiring event on Tuesday, looking to fill 35 open roles, including two at the currently closed emergency room location.
‘We’re looking for ED techs, service & clerical positions, housekeeping, food & nutrition, patient financial services, and more,’ said a post on the hospital’s Facebook page.
The hospital plans to reopen the Commerce location by the end of August, per its Facebook page.
Texas Health is in a similar situation, as the hospital is so overwhelmed it also is constructing an outdoor tent to help treat more Covid patients.
Hospitals across Texas are in the same situation.
Cases in the state are rising, increasing 116 percent from 6,522 new cases a day to 14,149 new cases in a matter of two weeks.
COVID-19 cases in Texas have increased by 116% over the past two weeks from 6,522 new cases a day to 14,149 new cases
Per a report from the Texas Tribune, half of the state’s 22 trauma service areas have ten or less hospital beds available.
Around 87 percent of hospital beds in the state are currently in use, with 53 hospitals having zero available – the highest figure since February.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has asked hospitals to stop all non-urgent medical services for the time being to open up more space for COVID-19 patients.
Abbott himself is under fire, however.
The governor lifted all pandemic-related mandates in March, and has prevented localities from enacting mandates of their own.
Abbott has banned mask mandates and has banned private businesses from requiring customers and patrons to show proof of vaccination.
He also banned schools from instituting mask mandates, in a move that may be defied by the larges education districts in his state.
Texas Gov Greg Abbott (pictured) has banned mask mandates in his state, but has received pushback for many in recent days as the state undergoes another massive COVID-19 surge
Pressure is building in Texas as localities, schools and some health officials want the governor to allow them to reimpose restrictions in the wake of the recent case surge.
Abbot remains unmoved, though.
‘Governor Abbott has been clear that we must rely on personal responsibility, not government mandates,’ Renae Eze, the governor’s press secretary said in a statement to the Tribune.
‘Every Texan has a right to choose for themselves and their children whether they will wear masks, open their businesses, or get vaccinated.’
Currently, 53 percent of Texans have received at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine, falling behind the national pace of 58 percent.
Many counties in north Texas have worryingly low vaccination rates, though, with almost all having less than 35 percent of residents at least partially vaccinated.
Source: Sound Health and Lasting Wealth
