ORLANDO, Fla. — AdventHealth is further limiting its elective non-time-sensitive outpatient surgeries as the hospital system continues to deal with “significant and swift” increases in COVID-19 cases in Central Florida.
Hospital officials said Monday that they have 862 people hospitalized with COVID-19. That nears the peak of about 900 the health system saw in January.
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They said the daily positivity rate at AdventHealth Centra Care also remains at near all-time highs.
At Orange County’s COVID-19 briefing on Monday, Dr. Victor Herrera with AdventHealth said capacity is being stretched to its limits, causing the hospital system to move its status to level red.
Dr. Victor Herrera with AdventHealth said in-patient numbers of COVID-19 cases is reaching an all-time high. He said capacity is being stretched to its limits. He said AdventHealth has moved its status to level red. pic.twitter.com/TcBxEsg4aF
— Christy Turner (@CTurnerWFTV) July 26, 2021
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Here’s what AdventHealth said that means:
- The hospital is deferring non-time-sensitive elective outpatient surgeries at hospitals throughout the Central Florida division effective Tuesday, July 27.
- Preapproval from campus medical leadership is required for non-time-sensitive/urgent or non-emergent procedures.
- Outpatient surgery sites can continue as scheduled.
- Other procedure sites, such as cath and endoscopy, can continue as scheduled.
- Pediatric surgeries can continue without limitation.
READ: Central Florida sees rise in COVID-19 variant cases, hospitalizations
The hospital system said 94% of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 across AdventHealth’s nationwide system are unvaccinated.
Officials said the current hospitalization rate is “not cause for alarm in terms of hospital capacity.”
“Our hospitals are designed in such a way that spaces are flexible and expandable,” officials said in a statement. “AdventHealth has an extensive health care system in place in Central Florida so we can locate patients to the facility that best matches the level of care they need.”
Stay tuned to Channel 9 Eyewitness News for updates.
