ORLANDO, Fla. – Officials with AdventhHealth say they’re cautiously optimistic after current COVID-19 conditions prompted the company’s recent transition from “black status” to “red status.”
During a briefing on Thursday, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Victor Herrera said fewer admissions in hospitals is a step in the right direction for the latest surge in coronavirus cases.
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”When you look at that number, even though it’s going down, it’s at a record high compared to our normal hospitalizations,” Herrera said.
According to AdventHealth, there are 1,330 COVID-19 patients receiving treatment in the company’s Central Florida hospitals.
The facilities were operating under black status in recent weeks due to an overwhelming number of COVID-19 patients, which meant officials deferred non-emergency surgeries at hospitals throughout Central Florida.
Under red status, additional deferred surgical procedures will be allowed to move forward.
”The other main reason to move to red was not just cases going down, but the realization we had a lot of patients waiting for medical care,” Herrera said.
Those impacted by the status change will be contacted by their doctor to schedule their procedure, according to AdventHealth.
While things are improving, officials also said it’s too soon for people to let their guard down when it comes to the virus.
”We feel that that number is going to continue to go down, but it’s important to understand the hospitals and intensive care units continue to be at a very tight capacity,” Herrera said.
AdventHealth officials said their facilities have sufficient supplies of ventilators, monitors and other specialized equipment, including oxygen and personal protective equipment.
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