Matthew Rocco
Hospitals in Pennsylvania and the South Atlantic are treating more Covid-19 patients than at any time during the pandemic, as the region continues to grapple with a fall resurgence of the coronavirus.
Pennsylvania has 6,295 Covid-19 patients currently in hospital, up from 5,970 the day before and the highest level on record, according to state health department data on Tuesday.
Keystone State also reported 9,035 new confirmed and probable infections, bringing its cumulative total to more than 500,000.
Hospital admissions also hit new highs in Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina, according to data released Tuesday.
Admissions to Maryland’s Covid-19 Hospital hit a record high for the second day in a row, increasing from 57 patients to 1,799. The state admitted up to 1,711 patients to the hospital during an outbreak in spring.
Gov. Larry Hogan noted a grim landmark for the state, writing on Twitter: “It is my sad duty to announce that 5,000 Marylanders have now lost their lives to Covid-19.”
In neighboring Virginia, hospitals have identified 2,361 patients, including those with pending coronavirus test results. This was up from 2,260 a day earlier.
North Carolina had a record 2,735 people in hospital with Covid-19, an increase of 181 in the past 24 hours.
The upward trend in hospital admissions contrasts with the Midwest, where several states have reported a drop in the number of Covid-19 patients actively receiving treatment.
Governors from several Midwestern states, as well as Kentucky, have teamed up on Twitter to jointly encourage families to exercise caution this holiday season.
“The best way to protect our families, our workers and slow the spread of this virus is to double the wearing of masks, social distancing and washing our hands frequently,” said Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb .
A drop in hospital admissions in the Midwest offered a positive sign that the region could turn a corner after becoming a hotspot for the coronavirus in early fall.
Wisconsin hospitals had 1,471 patients with Covid-19 on Monday, up from a peak of 2,278 on November 17, according to the Covid Tracking Project.
Michigan hospital admissions fell to 3,802 from 4,326 at the end of last month.
–
