The COVID-19 Community Task Force’s latest community spread update indicates that while average test turnaround time is down to 2.2 days, most other indicators are still in the substantial spread category.
COVID-19 hospitalizations at Columbus Regional Hospital declined over the weekend from Wednesday’s record high, but still remain considerably higher than at any point during the spring or summer, hospital officials said.
On Sunday, there were 48 people hospitalized with COVID-19 at CRH, down from an all-time high of 59 on Wednesday. There were 42 people hospitalized at CRH with COVID-19 on Monday morning, including eight who were listed in critical condition. Hospitalizations could increase throughout the day if more patients are admitted and test results come back, hospital officials said Monday morning.
Though hospitalizations have come down somewhat over the past few days, the number of CRH staff quarantining due to testing positive for COVID-19 or having symptoms consistent with the coronavirus has continued to increase. As of Monday morning, there were 60 CRH staff quarantining or in isolation, up from 55 on Friday and 36 a little over a week ago, the hospital said.
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CRH’s capacity to treat patients depends on the number of available beds and having doctors and nurses available to staff them, hospital officials said. The hospital briefly reached full capacity this past Wednesday.
“Our occupancy rate has ticked back down to a manageable 75%-80%,” CRH spokeswoman Kelsey DeClue said Monday.
The updated figures from the hospital and the task force came as COVID-19 cases continue to surge across the state, including in Bartholomew County.
An average of 83 Bartholomew County residents have tested positive for the coronavirus every day over the past week, according to the Indiana State Department of Health. Before November, the seven-day average had never exceeded 19.
There were 2,011 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in Bartholomew County in November — roughly 400 more than during the entire eight-month period from March to October, according to state figures.
That surge has continued into December, which has already seen the second highest case count of the pandemic.
At least 516 Bartholomew County residents tested positive for COVID-19 during the first six days of December, including a record 126 on Dec. 2.
Monday’s community spread update from the task force showed the following:
There are 62 new positive cases, and the number is decreasing (as of Dec. 6)
The per capita positive rate is 99.6 and increasing (as of Dec. 6)
The percent positive test rate is 53.7% and increasing (as of Dec. 2)
There are 48 COVID hospitalizations, and the number is decreasing (as of Dec. 6)
Test turnaround time is 2.2 days and decreasing (as of Dec. 6)
Per capita rate, percent positive test rate and hospitalizations are in the substantial spread category. Test turnaround time is in the minimal spread category.
Per capita rate has fluctuated as of late. According to the task force report, it was:
86.3 on Dec. 1
96.7 on Dec. 2
96.9 on Dec. 3
102.3 on Dec. 4
101.8 on Dec. 5
99.6 on Dec. 6
While the rate has lowered a little over the past day or two, the report states that it is still on an increasing trend.
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The COVID-19 Community Task Force posts updates on community spread every Monday and Thursday at covid19communitytaskforce.org/data/.
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