With COVID Rising, How Are Hospital Capacities Near Morristown?

Morristown NJ

10 December, 2021

3:02 PM

Description

MORRISTOWN, NJ — The recent spike in COVID-19 cases has put New Jersey hospitals under some strain. The state reported 1,526 hospital patients with confirmed or suspected cases — its highest figure since April 30. Here's how hospitals in the Morristown area fared the week of Nov. 18 — the most recent period of available data from the Department of Health and Human Services: Morristown Medical Center: 22.96 percent of inpatient beds available, 26.74 percent of ICU beds availableSaint Clare's Denville Hospital: 62.03 percent of inpatient beds available, 71.79 percent of ICU beds availableKindred Hospital New Jersey - Morris County (Dover): data for hospital-bed usage unavailableOverlook Medical Center (Summit): 38.16 percent of inpatient beds available, 31.48 percent of ICU beds availableSaint Barnabas Medical Center (Livingston): 5.18 percent of inpatient beds available, 50 percent of ICU beds available The ratio of COVID-19 hospitalizations to total beds provides insight into how much strain a hospital is under. The ratio becomes concerning when it rises higher than 10 percent and represents "extreme stress" above 20 percent, hospital-capacity experts told NPR. None of the aforementioned hospitals exceeded the 10 percent threshold the week of Nov. 26 to Dec. 2, according to NPR. Here's the current bed-use data for COVID-19 patients at local hospitals: Morristown Medical Center: 4 percent of inpatient beds in use for COVID-19 patientsSaint Clare's Denville Hospital: 3 percent of inpatient beds in use for COVID-19 patientsKindred Hospital New Jersey - Morris County (Dover): data unavailableOverlook Medical Center (Summit): 4 percent of inpatient beds in use for COVID-19 patientsSaint Barnabas Medical Center (Livingston): 4 percent Morris County, like New Jersey as a whole, has recently seen a spike in coronavirus cases. The New Jersey Department of Health tallied 1,718 infections in Morris County this past week. The county had 361 new cases in that timeframe a month ago. Despite the recent increase in hospitalizations, New Jersey has made progress compared to this time a year ago, when the state reported 3,572 COVID inpatients. Thanks for reading. Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter and follow the Morristown Patch Facebook page.