Faced with a record number of hospitalizations of patients with COVID-19, Seminole County health officials expressed concerns that hospitals in the county may soon reach capacity and become overwhelmed in the coming weeks following the Fourth of July weekend, a time when many people gathered to celebrate.
On Tuesday, Seminole reported 203 patients being treated for COVID in the county’s four hospitals, including Advent Health Altamonte Springs, Central Florida Regional in Sanford, Oviedo Medical Center and Orlando Health South Seminole Hospital in Longwood. That’s 40 more patients than the previous record set on July 4, when 163 patients were hospitalized in the county.
Seminole Tuesday had a 13% availability of hospital beds, according to county data.
Of those 203 patients, 30 individuals were being treated in intensive care units, a jump of five from a day earlier.
“We should be very worried,” said Dr. Todd Husty, an emergency room doctor and Seminole’s medical director. “The hospitals are having a hard time staffing. Every single patient that they see with COVID takes twice as long [to treat] as the ones who don’t have COVID…. And every room needs to be cleaned exquisitely.”
Husty warned the county may see another surge in positive cases in the coming weeks, as what happened after the Memorial Day weekend.
“I think in at least 7 to 10 to 14 days from now, we’re going to really see it,” Husty said.
In neighboring Orange County on Monday, intensive care units at several hospitals — including Orlando Health ORMC, Orlando Health Dr. P. Phillips Hospital, AdventHealth Kissimmee, AdventHealth Winter Park, and Poinciana Medical Center — had no ICU capacity, according to the Agency for Healthcare Administration.
Donna Walsh, Seminole’s officer for the state’s Department of Health, pointed out that within the first six days of July, Seminole has already recorded 793 positive cases of the coronavirus. Whereas, Seminole logged 2,272 positive cases of the coronavirus in the month of June.
“We have grown exponentially,” she said. “As you can see this virus is very infectious and can spread from person to person very easily.”
As of Tuesday, Seminole reported 2,570 current active cases of individuals with COVID-19 in the county.
Walsh and Husty said the best ways an individual can avoid spreading the virus is by wearing masks, practice social distancing and washing hands.
“If you test positive, you should isolate at home,” Walsh said.
Seminole enacted a mask order, which took effect July 1, that mandates individuals wear a mask when inside a business or attending a public gathering indoors. The order also requires that patrons and employees maintain at least a six-foot distance from each order.
Seminole’s order is nearly the same as neighboring Orange County’s mask order which went into effect June 20.
Seminole’s fast-rising number of positive coronavirus cases is having a negative impact on businesses and the economy, Commission Chairman Jay Zembower said.
“When you become positive as a young person,” Zembower said. “And now you’re in the workplace and your employer understands that you’re a positive case, and maybe you interacted with other employees. Those employees are now being asked to leave the workplace. That impedes and impacts that business and its ability to perform business because they just don’t have the staff to continue.”
Zembower also announced that Seminole will soon begin disbursing $20.5 million it received from the federal CARES Act to help businesses and individuals in the county that have been impacted by the economic slowdown related to the coronavirus pandemic.
Seminole commissioners on July 14 are scheduled to review a disbursement plan for the money. The money will then be doled out beginning in mid-July. The county will post an application process on its web site.
The CARES Act – or the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act – is a $2 trillion package approved by Congress last March. Neighboring Orange County received about $243 million. And Seminole is eligible to receive up to $82 million.
“Businesses have been hurting and will continue to hurt,” Zembower said.
