NorthBay says hospitals near capacity as COVID cases increase
(File photo by Matthew Keys/Solano NewsNet)
NorthBay Healthcare said on Monday that its hospitals throughout Solano County are at or near capacity as the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus continues to increase.
Since July, the number of patients at NorthBay hospitals throughout the region have doubled as more individuals are infected with the virus, including those who contract the more-contagious “Delta” variant.
At the moment, more than 970 active cases have been reported in Solano County, with 51 of those individuals hospitalized with serious symptoms.
“We’ve seen the number of our COVID-19 cases grow by 900 percent since July 6 at our Fairfield hospital,” Dr. Seth Kaufman, the chief medical officer at NorthBay, said in a press release.
Dr. Kaufman said those with the worst symptoms are individuals who have not received a COVID-19 vaccination.
“Eighty percent or more of these serious COVID-19 cases are unvaccinated individuals,” he said.
To prevent the spread of COVID-19 at its hospitals, NorthBay says it is now discouraging individuals from visiting patients who are hospitalized at their campuses. They are making exceptions for patients who are in labor (one person is allowed to accompany the mother), patients with disabilities, those who are near the end of their lives (two people are allowed to visit) and those who are hospitalized in pediatric or neo-natal intensive care units.
Patients who are dying from COVID-19 are now allowed one visitor for up to an hour, the hospital group said in a press release.
Health officials are urging members of the public to get vaccinated as soon as possible, with free vaccines widely available throughout Solano County.
NorthBay offers free vaccinations to members of the public weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon at NorthBay Medical Center in Fairfield, and from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. weekdays (except Wednesdays) at their VacaValley Hospital campus in Vacaville. Those interested in receiving a vaccine can make an appointment ahead of time, but the hospital group says walk-ins are also welcome.
County health officials continue to operate free vaccine clinics throughout the area, with pop-up locations in Vallejo and Fairfield this week and other clinics in Vacaville, Fairfield, Suisun City and Vallejo next week.
“It is more important than any time since the beginning of the pandemic that we do everything possible to keep ourselves and patients safe,” Dr. Kaufman said in a statement. “Despite the Delta variant truly being a new virus, I know we have the expertise to keep ourselves and our patients safe. We know the vaccines are effective.”
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