Ellis County ICU is At Capacity
According to the Ellis County website’s latest update, Ellis County ICU beds are all occupied. They show 18 of 18 beds occupied, not sure why it’s 18 when last week it showed 22 with four being added for surge. Twelve of the 18 patients are COVID-19 patients. Overall, there are 83 patients with COVID-19 hospitalized in Ellis County.
One of the reasons we report on and emphasize the ICU availability is not to scare anyone, but to keep you informed. As a local health official in Tarrant County said today, they only have 18 ICU beds available. In the case of a building fire, plane crash or other major accident/event those eighteen beds could be filled, leaving our hospital systems unable to accept critical patients in need of care. Looking at the TSA region as a whole, DSHS shows 60 available ICU beds in the entire region.
DSHS Reports There Are 696 Active COVID-19 Cases In Ellis County
DSHS reported 351 new COVID-19 cases in Ellis County today and estimates that there are 696 active COVID-19 cases with 127 total deaths. Those numbers are different from what the Ellis County website reflects. However, DSHS updated their numbers at 3:00 pm today and Ellis County reported their data at 9:10 am. They currently show 387 active COVID-19 cases and 129 total deaths.
It’s important to note DSHS announced today they’re changing the way they report COVID-19 cases starting 12/11/2020. They state they are streamlining currently displayed data while also providing additional data like adding a positivity rate for antigen tests. They will also report probable coronavirus cases at the state and county level.
DSHS explains the positivity update in this video:
Anyone in Ellis County looking for a free drive-thru COVID test can register at www.gogettested.com or come to the Midlothian Senior Center 9am-5pm located at 4 Community Circle Drive, Midlothian, Texas 76065. This site uses the saliva method and results will be available within 48-96 hours.
