Top Stories

Rising COVID-19 cases taking a toll on Washington County medical teams, schools

WASHINGTON COUNTY — A surge in COVID-19 cases and other serious health issues sent a local hospital into a crisis mode over the weekend — with wait times reportedly up to five hours. A shortage of beds to nurse ratio, and covid hospitalizations lasting longer were taxing on the system.

[Here is how to stay informed about coronavirus updates from WPXI]

Washington Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Six is urging county residents to go to one of their clinics and get vaccinated as the hospital is seeing patients significantly younger than this time last year — people in their 30s and 40s — in the Intensive Care Unit. 70% unvaccinated.

Here’s where you can get a COVID-19 test, and how long it takes for the results

“When you add that on to normal census and a lot of these patients require intensive care, ventilation, special procedures,” Dr. Six explained. “Those patients are very critically ill some of them much younger, majority unvaccinated, admissions more frequent and lasted longer than non COVID admission.”

WATCH the video above as we explain more about the county’s COVID data.