Ellis County Sees Sharp Increase In COVID-19 Hospitalizations
UPDATE 12/29: Last night at 9:30 pm, Ellis County updated their website to show 200 of 235 beds are occupied. However, they are showing 82 active COVID-19 cases…with 118 COVID-19 patients hospitalized. The math doesn’t add up, so we are working to get clarification from the county.
For roughly seven days Ellis County didn’t update their website with current hospital or COVID-19 numbers. The holidays and weekend impacted reporting, but no news is not always good news. With this evening’s update Ellis County is showing 200 of 200 hospital beds OCCUPIED. Surge capacity has increased ICU beds to 25 vs. the normal 18, and all 25 are currently occupied. (24 of 25 are COVID-19 patients)
Also, out of 200 patients hospitalized, 118 are listed as COVID-19 patients, 25 in the ICU and 93 in MedSurg. Across the state the situation doesn’t look much better with a record number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, at 11,351 COVID19 hospitalizations. The last record was reported in July. (previous record was 10,900)
91% of ICU beds in Texas are in use, and 40% of those are with COVID-19 patients. pic.twitter.com/gGcC3h4uXq
— Charles Ornstein (@charlesornstein) December 28, 2020
According to DSHS there are approximately 1,031 active COVID-19 cases in Ellis County and 159 deaths. These numbers don’t reflect Christmas travel or gatherings, and residents should use caution in public spaces.
CDC issued this guidance when it comes to celebrating New Year’s Eve:
The safest way to celebrate the new year is to celebrate at home with the people who live with you or virtually with friends and family.
- Wear a mask.
- Stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arm lengths) apart.
- Avoid crowds and poorly ventilated indoor spaces.
- Wash your hands.
- Stay home if you’re sick.
- Get a flu shot as soon as possible.
Consider other activities to celebrate New Year’s, such as:
- Have virtual celebrations with loved ones.
- Plan a New Year’s party for the people who live with you.
- Plan a neighborhood countdown to midnight.
- Watch a livestreamed firework display, concert, First Night event, or other New Year’s programming from your home.
Need to get a COVID-19 test? Visit gogettested.com to find the closest test site to you and register for a time slot. You can also get tested on 12/29 or 12/30 at the Midlothian Senior Center from 9am- 5pm, located at 4 Community Circle Drive, Midlothian, Texas 76065. This is a PCR saliva test with results expected in 48-96 hours.