Fewer than 15 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized in El Paso County
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- As Colorado continues to see a decrease in COVID-19 cases, there are fewer than 15 people currently hospitalized at major El Paso County hospitals as of Wednesday.
KRDO reached out to UCHealth where an official tells us they have fewer than six cases at Memorial Central and Memorial North in Colorado Springs combined. For Penrose Hospital and St. Francis Medical Center combined, we are told there are fewer than six COVID-19 hospitalizations. At this time we don't know how severe the cases are.
According to the El Paso County Public Health website, so far in June there have been seven COVID-19 hospitalizations. That's half of the 14 hospitalizations we saw for the first ten days of May.
KRDO also reached out to Parkview Medical Center in Pueblo. A spokesperson says as of Wednesday, they have only four patients currently recovering at the hospital. As for their severity, we are told none of them are on ventilators.
Despite the current trend of cases, El Paso County Public Health says it's still important for people to social distance, wear face masks in public, stay home if you are sick and get tested if you are experiencing symptoms.
With fewer hospitalizations, Cara Welch with the Colorado Hospital Association says state hospitals are slowly returning to normal, including rehiring some workers. "So it's not like we flipped a light switch and have gone back to 100 percent of what we were doing before COVID," Welch says, "It's definitely more turning that dial and kind of gradually ramping things back up."
But Welch says hospitals have already taken a huge hit. Countless elective surgeries were canceled and there were fewer emergency room visits. Not to mention the increased spending on things like personal protective equipment. Welch estimates that Colorado hospitals will lose $4.1 billion this year alone. Which could mean many staff members might not have a job to return to.
"You really have to examine your staffing levels and what's appropriate and what you can do that's in the best interest of your business and the service that your business looks to provide," Welch says.
