Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville exceeds capacity due to ‘significant increase’ in COVID-19 patients

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Mayo Clinic in Florida has exceeded the Jacksonville hospital’s capacity of 304 licensed beds due to a “significant increase” in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, according to an email from Mayo Clinic.

The email, obtained Sunday by News4Jax, states that Mayo Clinic has notified the Agency for Health Care Administration that its Surge Capacity Plan has been activated and it has requested ACHA’s approval to operate at overcapacity until the current COVID-19 surge ends.

“Hospital inpatients will be occupying unlicensed beds detailed in our approved Surge Capacity Plan and we are currently able to staff the surge areas to meet the essential needs of our patients,” the message reads, in part. “Life safety will not be jeopardized for any patients.”

Here is the full message:

In a statement, Mayo Clinic said it’s making adjustments to accommodate caring for more patients and it has not canceled patient care:

The message about Mayo Clinic exceeding capacity comes as the Associated Press reported that Florida on Sunday broke a previous record for current hospitalizations. According to data reported to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Florida had 10,207 people hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 cases.

UF Health Jacksonville told News4Jax on Sunday afternoon that it had 226 COVID-19 patients with 52 in the intensive care unit between its two hospitals in the downtown area and on the Northside. UF Health Jacksonville said it’s licensed for 695 beds between the two campuses -- 603 at UF Health Jacksonville downtown and 92 at UF Health North -- and is still below capacity overall right now.

On Saturday, according to federal health data, Florida recorded 21,683 new cases of COVID-19, the state’s highest one-day total since the start of the pandemic.