“Mercy Health is seeing some of the highest numbers of COVID-19 hospitalizations since the start of the pandemic,” she said. “Given the current volume in our communities and the severe strain on our staff and facilities, we are evaluating and prioritizing essential procedures and allocating resources and staff as needed to ensure our patients and communities receive the compassionate care they need.”
Unvaccinated Ohioans are driving hospitalizations, according to medical officials. More than 6,700 COVID-19 patients were in Ohio hospitals Monday, according to the Ohio Department of Health, which is a 40% increase over the past three weeks. Nearly 1,300 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care, 859 of whom were on ventilators.
More than 18,000 cases were reported on Monday.
Bentley said hospital officials will communicate directly with impacted patients regarding any changes to the date or location for procedures.
“We are taking these extraordinary steps to best serve our patients during this crisis period,” she said. “The health and safety of our patients and employees remain our priority.”
While not all non-emergency and elective surgeries could be postponed in the five-hospital Cincinnati region, some Mercy Health hospitals are postponing those types of surgeries. Springfield Medical Center, a Mercy Health hospital in Clark County, on Friday postponed all elective procedures, according to spokeswoman Jennifer Robinson.
As of Monday, ODH reported more than 2.2 million COVID-19 cases since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020 and nearly 100,000 hospitalizations.
Staff reporter Sydney Dawes contributed to this story.
FACTS & FIGURES
Here’s how Ohio and Butler County look as of Monday as COVID-19 cases rise statewide, according to the Ohio Department of Health.
Cases, hospitalizations, and mortality
More than 2.2 million COVID-19 cases in Ohio since the onset of the pandemic nearly two years ago, and almost 100,000 hospitalizations and more than 30,000 deaths. In Butler County, there have been more than 70,000 cases, 2,700 hospitalizations, and 900 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
Since Jan. 1, more than 124,000 COVID-19 cases have been reported in the state, and more than 4,100 of which are in Butler County. Among those, 1,277 have been hospitalized across Ohio and 28 in Butler County. While 33 people have died across Ohio since the start of 2022, no one from Butler County has died.
Vaccinations
Around 6.49 million Ohioans, or 55.5% of the state, are fully vaccinated with one of the COVID-19 vaccines. In Butler County, nearly 206,000, or 53.76%, are fully vaccinated.
Nearly 3 million Ohioans have received a COVID-19 booster shot, which includes 84,422 in Butler County.
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