Hospitalizations Tick up at St. Charles | The Source Weekly - Bend, Oregon

Hospitalizations Tick up at St. Charles

To slow the spread, hospital system asks people to celebrate at home and mind health guidelines during the July 4 weekend

This past week, Oregon saw its highest-ever daily number of positive cases of COVID-19, at 374 cases in a single day, on July 2—even exceeding the early days of the pandemic.

In Deschutes County, the number of new cases has trickled in—around one or two a day over the past several weeks. But in keeping with the statewide trend, case numbers are going up. The county reported 11 new cases as of today, and nine Friday. 

As of Saturday, nine people are in St. Charles' Bend hospital for COVID-19, with three of them in the Intensive Care Unit, and on ventilators. That translates to a hospitalization rate of 12% among all known COVID-19 cases in the county.

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And at St. Charles Medical Center, the number of hospitalizations has gone up, too. St. Charles Health System reported Friday evening that hospitalizations at the Bend hospital had doubled over the past 24 hours—and they're bracing for an even bigger surge. 

As of Saturday, nine people are in St. Charles' Bend hospital for COVID-19, with three of them in the Intensive Care Unit, and on ventilators. That translates to a hospitalization rate of 12% among all known COVID-19 cases in the county, Lisa Goodman, public information officer for St. Charles told the Source.

As people gather during the Independence Day weekend, St. Charles is urging people to celebrate the holiday at home.

Hospitalizations Tick up at St. Charles
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"We know people are looking forward to celebrating the holiday weekend with family and friends. However, we are not in a position to celebrate in the ways we’re used to," St. Charles' Friday release stated. "After Memorial Day weekend gatherings, COVID-19 cases accelerated. This virus does not take holidays off, and our actions now will determine where we stand later in July.

"Think hard about your Fourth of July plans," the release stated. "Please strongly consider celebrating at home this year, and limiting your interactions to a very small group of people.... If you go out in public, it is absolutely vital that you wear a mask at all times."

Check out our Coronavirus HQ page for all the latest stories and numbers.

Nicole Vulcan

Nicole Vulcan has been editor of the Source since 2016. You can mostly find her raising chickens, walking dogs, riding all the bikes and attempting to turn a high desert scrap of land into a permaculture oasis.
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