COVID-19 Cases Spike – Local Hospitals Brace For An Influx Of Patients

COVID-19 cases are spiking in Minnesota, and hospitals are bracing for it. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, Minnesota registered over 14,000 new positive infections n the past few days.

“It’s causing anxiety,” said Mary Turner, President of the Minnesota Nurses Association. She’s also an ICU nurse at North Memorial Health.

Hospitals Across The State Are Seeing An Increase In COVID-19 Patients

“Hospitals that didn’t get a lot of cases in the winter and spring, that kind of thing, are now seeing cases,” Turner explained.

She says the cases in out state Minnesota directly correlate to hospitals here in the metro because some local hospitals are taking in COVID-19 patients from all over the state. It’s creating a bottleneck for hospitals like North Memorial Health that are already at or near capacity.

North Memorial Health bracing for an influx of COVID-19 patients.

“At North Memorial, we have three ICU’s full of COVID, we have three med/surgical floors full of COVID,” said Turner. “I think at one point last week, and they actually used the last physical bed that they had to dig out of the storeroom.

North Memorial Health Officials sent us a statement. In part, it says:

“North Memorial Health Hospital and Maple Grove Hospital capacity reflects the trends reported by the Minnesota Department of Health and the available capacity changes frequently throughout the day. The team at North Memorial Health is monitoring all COVID-19 developments and is prepared for any cases that may come to our facilities.”  Carolyn Ogland, MD, Chief Medical Officer

Meanwhile, Turner says there is sufficient personal protective equipment available, which is a significant change since the spring when the pandemic started.

Brooklyn Center | Brooklyn Park | Champlin | Crystal | Golden Valley | Maple Grove | New Hope | Osseo | Plymouth | Robbinsdale