As COVID-19 cases rise, here’s what the hospital situation looks like in Fresno, Valley
The number of patients hospitalized for treatment of COVID-19 in Fresno County reached its highest point of the pandemic, and the number of available beds in intensive-care units remains near its lowest point since the first coronavirus infections surfaced in the county in March.
As of Monday, 420 people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 were in hospitals across the county, according to data from the state Department of Public Health. Another 35 patients suspected of being infected, but for whom tests had yet to confirm the disease, were also in hospitals.
ICUs across Fresno County held 77 confirmed coronavirus patients – the most ever in the pandemic – as well as five suspected cases. Between confirmed and suspected coronavirus cases, and dozens of patients requiring intensive care for other illnesses or conditions including heart attacks, strokes, trauma and more, Fresno County’s hospitals had nine available ICU beds out of 149 that are licensed.
Across the 12-county San Joaquin Valley health care region which spans from San Joaquin County in the north to Kern County in the south, hospitals have a total of 657 licensed ICU beds, 276 of which were occupied by confirmed or suspected coronavirus patients on Monday. The state reported that the available ICU capacity Tuesday was down to 5.6% for any new patients – with COVID-19 or any other serious condition across the region (Calaveras, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, San Benito, San Joauqin, Stanislaus, Tulare and Tuolumne counties).
Since Saturday, when ICU capacity in the San Joaquin Valley fell to less than 15%, the region has been subject to a stay-at-home order issued by the state in an effort to stem the number of new infections and keep hospitals from being overwhelmed at a time of year that is historically among the busiest for intensive-care units in normal circumstances, much less during a global pandemic. In the region, coronavirus has infected almost 196,000 people and is blamed for 2,672 deaths.
The regional stay-at-home order will be in place through at least three weeks, or Dec. 27. After that, the order could be lifted if the region’s collective ICU capacity rebounds to above 15% and is projected to stay above that threshold for four weeks.
This story was originally published December 8, 2020 at 12:02 PM.
