TUCSON (KVOA) – It’s Christmas Eve with some pitiful milestones from Covid19, leaving medical professionals waiting for a Christmas miracle.
Dr. Cara Christ, Director of the Arizona Department of Health, said: “We have seen Covid19’s metrics get worse, our cases remain high, as well as our percentage of positivity. We are seeing an increase in hospitalizations and deaths ”
Dr. Christ released this message on Wednesday, urging people to consider the risks of festive events.
“While many people like to wear masks when they are in public with strangers, many go home and invite friends to dinner where people don’t wear masks or distance,” said Dr. Christ.
Across the state, the capacity of hospital ICU beds has reached 93 percent, more than 960 of these beds are occupied with COVID-19 patients, a record. In Pima County, the health department reports that only 2% of ICU beds are available. As the cases arise.
“If you look at the percentage positivity rate today [Thursday] in Pima County and last week is 20 percent, ”said Will Humble, Executive Director of the Arizona Public Health Association. “Many of the patients who would have been hospitalized are no longer being admitted and sent home.”
Humble said the situation meant that hospitals across the state had to screen patients and transfer them from hospital to hospital as beds were opened.
“Unfortunately, many of these beds open up while people die,” said Humble.
But the real damage from the Christmas and New Year celebrations, he said, will not be evident for weeks.
“Now we are thinking that the exhibition that will take place on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the New Year are the hospitalizations that we will start seeing in mid-January,” said Humble.
Humble encourages people to do what they have been asking for months – wear a mask, keep social distance and wash their hands regularly.
There is some light at the end of the tunnel, said Humble as the vaccine becomes available to the most vulnerable soon and eventually, all numbers will begin to decline.