Hospital bed use exceeding summer Covid-19 spike level in Maryland

Black line = total beds
Pink line = acute beds
Purple line = ICU beds

Current hospitalizations in Maryland now exceed the number at the height of the summer Covid-19 spike, according to data from the Maryland Department of Health. Acute beds and total beds in-use are at a higher level and continue to trend upward in late fall. ICU bed use, which peaked in May and was flat over the summer and early fall, is now beginning to creep upward sharply. Coronavirus cases have been increasing concurrently with the increase in hospitalizations. 

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson Pete Piringer said MCFRS units were operating under Blue Alert around 11:45 PM last night. All Montgomery County hospital emergency rooms were busy at that hour, Piringer said. Blue Alert means there is more active management of the distribution of patients transported among hospital emergency rooms.

As of this writing, no County hospitals are on Blue Alert, but Holy Cross Germantown is under Red Alert - meaning no ECG-monitored beds are available, and that it can no longer accept emergency patients who need such monitoring - and has been since 6:38 AM this morning. Sibley Memorial Hospital is also under Red Alert this morning.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is expected to hold a press conference on the Covid-19 situation this afternoon at 5:00 PM.