By JA
Dec 16, 2020
Area hospitals are not only reaching bed capacity, sufficient staffing is also an issue. On Tuesday San Diego County reported another 1,863 COVID-19 cases, 32 deaths from the virus and hospitalizations for the virus reached a record high of 1,033 (up 231% in the last 30 days).
As San Diego hospitals cope with the demand of the virus and other medical emergencies, staff and resources are stretched thin. On Tuesday some area hospitals were forced to turn away ambulances and people seeking emergency medical care. Paramedics waited hours (some 5-7 hours) before they could deliver patients, which required San Diego County ambulance services to change procedures.
Updated on December 17, 2020 at 5:51 am
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Limited hospital capacity in San Diego County due to increasing COVID-19 patients and limited staff created a trial by fire over the weekend for a pilot ambulance diversion program designed to equitably distribute patients among hospitals amid a disaster.
“This new tool is an added level of ability to manage patients in the pre-hospital space,” Dr. Eric McDonald, Medical Director with the County Epidemiology Immunization Branch, said. “And that was a new tool available and used a couple times by some hospitals over the weekend to good effect. NBC 7 s Audra Stafford breaks down how the county is trying out a new program that diverts ambulances, all in an effort to prevent hospitals from becoming overwhelmed as COVID-19 cases continue to rise.