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Sophia Lesseos / KHTS News

COVID-19 Hospitalizations On The Rise In Santa Clarita, Still Below 50 Percent Capacity At Henry Mayo

Coronavirus hospitalizations in Santa Clarita have been steadily rising since mid-June, but are still well below total capacity at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, according to officials.

COVID hospitalizations peaked in mid-April at 35, then steadily dropped to only three cases by mid-June. The number of patients has been increasing since then and has reached 31 as of Wednesday, according to Patrick Moody, spokesperson for the hospital.

Henry Mayo owes its ability to handle an increasing number of COVID patients in part to good timing. The hospital recently completed construction of a new patient tower in October and that additional capacity has been recommissioned to house COVID-19 patients, according to Moody.

“Obviously we didn’t know the pandemic was going to happen, but it just gave us so much more capacity at a critical time,” Moody said. “So we’re in better shape than most hospitals, just by virtue of circumstance.”

Henry Mayo’s COVID unit is housed in the new patient tower and occupies its own floor separated from the regular Intensive Care Unit and the rest of the hospital. The staff working in the COVID unit are also separated and undergo a thorough decontamination procedure when entering and exiting the COVID unit, according to Moody.

Hospital officials urge community members not to avoid going to the hospital if necessary, as COVID patients are being isolated from regular hospital visitors and staff.

“We can provide ICU level care in that unit,” Moody said. “But, by not having the patients in the main hospital, that frees up our ICU for patients who don’t have COVID.”

The COVID unit has beds for 27 patients, with an overflow area of 20 beds available if demand exceeds that number. If an influx of patients were to go beyond even that number, the hospital has space to treat nearly 100 COVID patients if necessary, according to Moody.

“If necessary, we could start to take steps to increase our capacity,” Moody said. “I would say we could pretty easily accommodate over 90 patients.”

There are 31 patients in the hospital as of Wednesday, while 176 patients have been discharged since the hospital’s first case was reported in March, according to Moody. This is an increase of six hospitalizations since last Wednesday.

This rise in cases has mirrored a similar increase in hospitalizations around the state and County.

L.A. County COVID hospitalizations hit their lowest level on June 15 but have been rising ever since, and recently recorded their highest point since the start of the pandemic. County health experts attribute the rise in cases to large gatherings held over the Memorial Day and Fourth of July holidays as well as a general relaxing of safety standards.

“We must drive compliance, containment and collaboration efforts that will move with us into the long-term recovery that we all want to see happen as soon as possible,” said Barbara Ferrer, L.A. County Director of Public Health. “There is mounting evidence that these strategies work. The task in front of us is to be able to thread the needle so that we continue with our recovery journey while protecting the health and well-being of our residents, our workforce and our community.”


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COVID-19 Hospitalizations On The Rise In Santa Clarita, Still Below 50 Percent Capacity At Henry Mayo

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About Elliott Keegan