‘The peak is coming soon.’ Reeves says state has enough hospital beds, ventilators.
Gov. Tate Reeves and state health officials warned at a news conference Friday that cases of the novel coronavirus will increase in coming weeks, but they also said the state will have enough hospital beds to care for those who fall ill.
“The peak is coming soon,” Reeves said, seated with doctors at the news conference. “ . . . Please be smart and take care of your families.”
Reeves says an executive order he signed shuts down all elective surgeries for the next two weeks so hospital beds will be available and hospital workers will have the protective equipment they need to safely take care of patients.
Coast hospitals, including Memorial Hosptial at Gulfport and Singing River Health Systems in Jackson County, have already suspended elective surgeries.
Also in preparation for a COVID-19 peak, the state has created a registry of doctors who can be called in to help if necessary.
“We do expect to see increasing cases in the next weeks,” said Jim Craig of the Mississippi State Department of Health. “It’s vitally important that you stay well . . . so we don’t overload the healthcare system.”
He said the state should have enough beds and ventilators to handle peak infections of COVID-19.
By the end of the day Thursday, the state reported a total of 2,469 cases of the coronavirus with 82 deaths. In the six South Mississippi counties, 360 people have tested positive with 18 deaths.
The state has been working with about 60 hospitals to ensure bed space, he said. Community and rural hospitals can provide up to 1,000 beds to care for recovering COVID-19 patients, or those with less severe symptoms, so that larger acute-care hospitals can take care of the sickest individuals.
Officials hope contingency plans will not be needed, but more beds will be available if hospitals are overrun, including up to 250 at Camp Shelby south of Hattiesburg.
“Listen to the governor,” Craig said. “Don’t let your guard down. Stay healthy and state safe.”
Greg Michel, executive director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, also said supplies of personal protective equipment have come in and the PPEs were being shipped out Friday.
