As COVID-19 cases surge in Florida, likely due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant, the Florida Hospital Association has restarted daily monitoring of COVID-19 hospitalizations and resource usage after stopping the daily releases back in mid-October.
“At this stage, we are seeing a slight increase in COVID hospitalizations after many weeks of extremely low hospitalizations. But with the significant number of daily cases and the challenging workforce shortages, hospitals are monitoring these trends closely and readying their surge plans,” said Mary C. Mayhew, President and CEO, Florida Hospital Association. “Based on the experiences in other countries and in other states that have been hit by this latest variant, we are optimistic that the Omicron variant will result in less severe illness. Unfortunately, omicron appears to be more contagious and still could lead to increased hospitalizations simply because of the volume of individuals affected. Currently, the numbers are still relatively small compared to what we experienced during the delta surge this summer, and hospitals statewide have significant bed availability to treat COVID and non-COVID patients. Throughout the pandemic, hospitals have been able to demonstrate their ability to respond to COVID while maintaining excellent quality of care, and we are confident those standards will be upheld.”
As of December 27th, there were 2,075 hospitalizations due to Omicron. At the peak of the Delta surge this summer, there were 17,121 recorded hospitalizations on a single day. Delta started relatively slow, taking more than a month to break through the 2,000 hospitalization barrier before a steep climb to the peak on August 23rd.
Vaccination remains the best protection against hospitalization and severe illness if infected. The Florida Hospital Association urges individuals to get vaccinated and get the booster to reduce hospitalizations and ultimately save lives.
At Walt Disney World, there have been no material changes to the COVID-19 policies that have been in place throughout the Fall and Winter. Namely, masks are required in all indoor locations regardless of vaccination status.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!