Health officials address rise in hospitalizations due to COVID-19

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Gov. Bill Lee held his first in-person news briefing after being in quarantine.

The major concern from state health officials is the rise in hospitalizations due to COVID-19.

“The time to act is now, before seasonal flu becomes an issue,” said Dr. Wendy Long, Tennessee Hospital Association President.

In Gov. Lee’s weekly news conference on Wednesday, Long gave a stern warning to the public about the rise in COVID-19 hospitalizations.

“Hospitalizations are increasing in Tennessee at an alarming rate right now, with new records being set everyday for the number of currently hospitalized patients,” Long said.

“If the increase in hospitalizations that we many times experience during a typical flu season were layered on top of the current surge in hospitalizations for COVID patients that we’re experiencing today, we would have statewide capacity issues,” Long said. “If the healthcare system becomes overwhelmed with COVID patients, it will jeopardize not only our ability to care for those patients, but our ability to respond to heart attacks, strokes, and injuries and many other types of care.”

She says the hospital stay for COVID-19 patients is much longer than a typical hospital stay.

The concern is statewide, but especially in rural areas.

“Outside of the ICU, can be 11 or 12 days. It’s more than 20 days in an ICU,” Long said. “Our message is very simple. Wear a mask while you’re out in public, practice social distancing, and get your flu shot.”

Commissioner Jeff McCord, with the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, also discussed the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation end on December 26.

He says the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance lasts for 39 weeks. It either ends after 39 weeks or on December 26, whichever comes first.

“This is all subject to change, as you know, and we’ll continue to give you updates as we go forward. For the time being, and over time, the best strategy is to return to work,” McCord said.

Gov. Lee also mentioned where, according to federal officials, most of the spread of coronavirus is coming from at this point.

“It’s happening in small gatherings in homes, in communities where people are kind of forgetting that close contact, even among small groups of people, is actually a very dangerous way to live,” Gov. Lee said.

Health Commissioner Dr. Lisa Piercey emphasized that the spike in numbers is not from an increase in testing. She says the state’s testing strategies have been what she called “robust” for a while.