FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMonday, August 9, 2021 12:33 PM
BREVARD COUNTY, FL. – Hospital emergency rooms are inundated with patients with symptoms of COVID-19, a situation that has prompted a plea from Brevard County health officials and emergency services for residents to consider other options before taxing ambulance services with non-emergency calls and showing up at the ER for a COVID test when other test sites are available.
All three hospital systems in the County are over capacity and continue to deal with a strong surge in patients, said Brevard County Emergency Director John Scott. Hospitals have implemented surge plans that include cancellation of elective surgeries, and converting regular space into COVID-19 space and negative pressure rooms. Also of concern, Scott said, are that hospital emergency rooms are seeing comparable surges in patients with COVID-19 symptoms, though not all of those visiting the ER have an emergency situation. That creates safety concerns for real emergencies, such as traffic accident-related trauma patients, heart attack victims or others needing emergency treatment.
Scott said it’s important that residents and visitors to Brevard County increase their vigilance and “return to what we know helps slow the spread when it comes to COVID, which is wearing face coverings, good hand hygiene, practicing social distancing when possible and, of course, we know we have a solution to this– which is our vaccine, and we encourage people to get as much good information that’s out there and make sure they know where to get them.”