1,500 Marylanders are hospitalized with COVID-19 triggering new statewide actions.

The governor says the state could reach record levels of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the coming weeks.

More than 1,500 Marylanders are currently hospitalized for COVID-19 as of Thursday. Gov. Larry Hogan said the milestone has triggered hospitals in the state to take new actions to address the pandemic.

Hogan—who tested positive for COVID-19 Monday— said the state had been preparing for weeks for the surge.

"If and when we surpass 1,500 COVID hospitalizations, hospitals will immediately implement their pandemic plans," the governor said in a press conference Tuesday.

Earlier in December, Maryland Health Secretary Dennis Schrader issued an order requiring hospitals in Maryland to submit plans to the state's health department laying out steps the hospital would take in the case of a COVID-19 surge. The plans, which are now in effect, include the following:

Optimizing bed capacity
Adjusting capacity to bring more beds into service
Deploy additional staff
Reduce or reschedule non-urgent surgeries/elective procedures
Transfer non-urgent patients to different care sites
Convert more spaces for clinical care.
The governor also announced Tuesday that the state has committed $100 million in emergency funding to address hospital and nursing home staffing and testing needs.

“Our projections now show that in the coming weeks, we could reach record levels of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Maryland, possibly over 2,000," Hogan's statement Thursday said. "We have been actively preparing for this scenario in coordination with all of our hospitals, and today’s actions are the latest step in that planning."

Maryland's hospitalization peak occurred in January 2021, Dr. Ted Delbridge, the executive director at Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services, noted at the Tuesday COVID-19 press briefing. At the time of the peak, he said 1,952 Marylanders were hospitalized for COVID-19.

Hogan urged Marylanders to get vaccinated and boosted in his statement, adding that most of the hospitalizations are currently due to unvaccinated individuals.

“We will continue to closely monitor this surge, and take additional actions as needed,” Hogan said.'

https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/maryland-covid-hospitalizations-rising/65-a3f9c6e8-431c-4851-839d-dd1c9e1f1c17?