CentraCare Health: COVID Hospitalizations Remain Below 100 For Second Week

(KNSI) – COVID hospitalizations remain below 100 for the second week in a row in the St. Cloud area. CentraCare COVID-19 Incident Commander Dr. George Morris says it is further evidence that the recent COVID-19 surge that overwhelmed medical facilities across Minnesota and the St. Cloud area has peaked, but that doesn’t mean we’re out of the woods.

“We’re doing better, but the better doesn’t mean fabulous. And I wonder if maybe that’s a way to look at it. We see the light at the end of the tunnel. You know, we see the rays of hope coming throw the clouds, and it’s getting closer if we can hold tight for another couple of weeks. Then we can really put this in the rearview mirror.

CentraCare reports a test positivity rate of 20%, which is still higher than the statewide average of 16%. About a month ago, CentraCare reported a test positivity rate of 33%. A 5% to 10% test positivity rate means the virus isn’t considered widespread.

Dr. Morris says the last two weeks have been good news, but people need to contain their excitement and show some restraint for a little longer.

“You know when you can see that light coming, you want to say, well let me jump in a hurry up and run to it, but if we run too fast, we’ll stumble, and that’s as a community, but I can certainly see that some places are going to dial back a little sooner. I would still like to encourage everybody to keep masks on.”

Dr. Morris says CentraCare will start looking at rolling back some of its policies put in place in recent weeks. The policies that could be reevaluated soon would include allowing asymptomatic people to be tested for COVID again and allowing more visitors at the hospital and at doctors appointments.

CentraCare and Carris Health’s latest COVID patient report listed 87 people hospitalized in its eight hospitals in central Minnesota. Data shows 49 patients were unvaccinated, 18 were fully vaccinated, and 20 patients had completed their primary set of COVID-19 vaccinations but were past due for a booster shot and didn’t get one. Out of the eight 87 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19, ten are in critical care, with eight on a ventilator. None of the patients in critical care had gotten a booster shot. Eight were unvaccinated, and two had received their primary vaccine dose.

Last week, CentraCare Health reported 83 patients were being treated for COVID-19.

___