JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Hospital officials said the overwhelming majority of the new COVID-19 patients they are seeing -- 98% -- are not vaccinated. Medical experts said the recent rise in cases is because of the Delta variant spreading throughout Northeast Florida.
The growing number of people sick with the virus is contributing to longer wait times at Northeast Florida hospitals, according to health officials.
A Jacksonville man’s visit to the Ascension St. Vincent’s Southside Hospital’s emergency room on Tuesday became a nightmare, according to his wife. She said he does not have COVID-19 but the flood of patients force him to wait 26 hours in the ER before he could be admitted.
“There was no room anywhere. All the rooms were being used. The halls were full of patients,” said the woman, who does not want her name used.
St. Vincents sent News4Jax this statement, saying in part:
According to Baptist Health, their hospitals have 170 COVID patients and 36 of those are in intensive care. To free up capacity, Officials said wait times vary at the hospital’s eight locations. Doctors are rescheduling some elective surgeries.
UF Health has 75 COVID patients, with 19 of those in the ICU.
Ascension St. Vincents said the health and safety of its patients and community is its top priority. The hospital said it can’t stress enough the importance of getting vaccinated. It said the vaccines are safe and effective.
“Just get vaccinated, because you need it, we need it,” the wife of the St. Vincent’s patient said. “This needs to stop.”