August 13, 2021 –
Healthcare providers in Macon County are sounding the alarm about the increase of COVID-19 cases in the area.
Drew Early, CEO of DMH Memorial Medical, Theresa Rutherford, CEO of HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital, Tanya Andricks, CEO of Crossing Healthcare, and Brandi Binkley, Public Health Administrator for the Macon County Health Department held a press conference today to discuss the increasing numbers.
According to Binkley, from August 5th to August 11th the IDPH and CDC Covid tracker listed Macon County at 245 cases per 100,000, numbers similar to levels last fall. Right now, Macon County has a positivity rate of 8.5%
Both Rutherford and Early stressed that the hospitals are dealing with limited healthcare resources and both hospitals are currently evaluating the possible need to stop elective surgeries.
Early added that DMH currently has 30 COVID patients in their care, accounting for 20% of the hospital’s total patients. He added that across Memorial Health System, 85% of those patients are unvaccinated. Rutherford said the trend is similar at HSHS and that breakthrough cases are of patients with pre-existing conditions or comorbidities.
More startling, according to Early, is the number of younger patients that are requiring hospitalization and more care.
The Healthcare providers stressed the need for more of the population to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and to wear masks indoors, even for those who are vaccinated.
Right now, only 38.1% of Macon County is fully vaccinated.
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Watch the full press conference below:
