State reveals updated hospital surge plan

SURGE IN COVID-19HOSPITALIZATIONS.

STATEOFFICIALS OUTLINED THEIRUPDATED PLAN TODAY.2 WORKS FOR YOU BRADYHALBLEIB... SHOWS US WHAT IT MEANSFOR OUR AREA'S HOSPITALS..AND PATIENTS."It's been sticking rightaround the 600s and for whatwe can see right now, itlooks like it's going tostay there."On Thursday..

Stateofficials reportingOklahoma's averagehospitalization rate isstable, for now."Today, we have 643 peoplein the hospital and for thepast month the number hashovered between 550 to 650."However, city and stateleaders say they want to beprepared.

The state'sUPDATED Hospital Surge Planaddresses additional bedcapability..

SHOULD IT BEneeded.Right now, saint francisHOSPITAL has 81 covidpatients.They SAY it's hard topredict their capacitybecause non-covid patientsare discharged daily..allowing them to flex morebeds if needed."We've developed specificcovid hospital units inorder to reserve bedsspecifically for covidpatients above the normalcapacity those hospitalshave." Tulsa and OklahomaCity account for most of thestate's cases andhospitalizations... Intotal, there are now 340additional bedsavailable between the twometro areas.

125 of thosebeds ARE at TULSA'S O-S-Umedical center."Those hospitals in thoseareas will continue to carefor covid and non-covidpatients up to 100% of theirstaff capacity." Althoughhospitalization LEVELSremain stagnant, TRACKINGnew cases continueS to be achallenge.

THE ISSUE -delays in lab results."This is very unpredictable.We do have increase in casesin the state Oklahoma, we dohave increase inhospitalizations in thestate of Oklahoma, the goodnews is the percentage ofthe people who end uphospitalized has decreaseover time."Now, these new availablebeds here at the OSU medicalcenter won't be used rightaway.

In fact, they willonly be used once localhospitals are at fullcapacity.837 NEW POSITIVE COVID-19CASES... REPORTED IN