DETROIT – Hospitalizations from coronavirus have increased steadily since October in Michigan and hospitals are stretched thin.
COVID-19 continues to cause havoc in our areas and is now affecting hundreds of workers throughout the Henry Ford Health System.
Henry Ford Health said 576 of about 33,000 employees are out of work because they either have COVID-19 or been exposed to coronavirus.
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Henry Ford Health System Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Adnan Munkarah said they are in quarantine.
“We are very concerned with the staffing shortage,” Munkarah said.
Michigan Health Department Chief Medical Executive and Deputy Director Dr. Joneigh Khaldun said many hospitals are reaching capacity, across the state, although case rates are leveling off overall in Michigan.
Meanwhile, Munkarah said the testing positivity rates continue to be significant.
“It’s in the double-digit and it continues to be concerning, which means the number of affected people in the community continues to be high,” said Dr. Munkarah.
Henry Ford Health System said two of its six hospitals are more than 90% full, those are in Macomb and West Bloomfield.
According to the state data, six hospitals are 100% capacity. Those are Ascension St. Joseph Hospital in Tawas City, Ascension Standish Hospital, Lakeland Medical Center in St. Joseph, McLaren Bay Special Care in Bay City, McLaren Port Huron Hospital and St. Mary Mercy Hospital in Livonia.