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Officials implemented new mitigation efforts on Nov. 23, desperate to stop the spread. But somehow, things got worse -- and the healthcare system is becoming increasingly overwhelmed.
Gov. Tom Wolf warned during Monday's COVID-19 briefing that if action isn't taken now, anyone who needs healthcare treatment -- for COVID-19 or otherwise -- will be impacted.
"Crowded conditions and dwindling resources are a reality in hospitals all across the Commonwealth, Wolf said. "And so are staffing shortages due to increased patient needs, and medical workers falling ill themselves.
"This is just taking everything we have in our healthcare system and stretching it to the limits."
Several counties in the northern part of the state reported they have very few ICU beds that remain open.
The Tribune Review reported a nurse at UPNC Altuna said the atmosphere in the ICU was like a treadmill that goes, and goes and goes -- for the entire 13-hour shift. "It's like you're on fast-forward," she said.
Hospitals in the southwestern and central regions of the state anticipate staffing shortages this week. Emergency physicians in Philadelphia say the pandemic is putting a physical and emotional strain on the wellbeing of healthcare workers, Wolf said.
Pennsylvania's COVID-19 Early Warning Monitoring System Dashboard highlighted a seven-day case increase of 48,668 cases -- up from last week's 42,713 seven-day total.
"As cases and hospitalizations continue to rise, the strain on hospital resources and staff increases exponentially as does the risk of overburdening and overwhelming those on the right line"
This will bleed into all areas of the healthcare system, Wolf said.
For example, someone suffering a heart attack could see a longer response time from first responders. Then, once they get to the hospital, they could be turned away because the facility is at capacity.
"All 13 million Pennsylvanians have to take this virus seriously," Wolf said. "We have to protect each other. This is an urgent situation. We must stop the spread of COVID-19 and to do that, we all have to act now."
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