Rising COVID Cases Affect NIH
On Wednesday, October 6th, Northern Inyo Hospital released a request over social media for public assistance. Rising rates of COVID-19 in Inyo County are beginning to affect hospital staff and resources, and Northern Inyo Hospital is making the public aware of longer wait times due to an increase in patients and service requests. As a result, Northern Inyo Hospital asks the public to refrain from calling 911 unless in an emergency, and also not to go to the emergency department for non-emergency conditions.
Currently, there has been an increase of 26 cases since October 1st, putting Inyo County at 115 active cases. There have been no deaths reported since October 1st. Out of the active cases, 47 of these are children ages 0-17, 45 are ages 18-49, 12 are ages 50-64, and 10 are ages 65+.
As of October 6th, Inyo County actually has the highest case rate per 100,000 in California. The 14-day trend puts us at 13 cases
per day, or 74 per 100,000 according to the New York Times’ latest map and case count.
The most recent data reported by Northern Inyo Hospital and Mammoth Hospital states that the ICU occupancy is at 0% with 2 available beds for both hospitals; however, the recent uptick in cases means this could change. It’s worth noting that a small number of ICU beds is not only a threat to those critically ill from COVID-19, but also a threat to those who could need an ICU bed for other reasons.
Inyo County’s most recent vaccine data states that 72.8% of Inyo County has had at least one dose, while 64.1% of the county is fully vaccinated. On Saturday, October 16th, and Saturday, November 20th, Inyo County Public Health is offering a MassVax clinic for booster doses.
You are eligible for the COVID-19 Pfizer booster shot if you received your second dose at least 6 months prior to your booster, you are 65+, 18+ with underlying medical conditions, and 18+ who work or live in settings that pose a high risk for COVID-19 infection. To make an appointment for a booster dose, click here.
As for current masking guidelines, masks are recommended in Inyo County due to high transmission rates, but not currently required in most facilities.
Northern Inyo Hospital reminds you to call 911 in an emergency, but in a non-emergency situation, please call Inyo County Sheriff’s Department at (760) 878-0383, option 4. If you are suffering from non-emergency conditions, please do not go to the emergency department, and if you are unsure if your symptoms constitute an emergency, please contact your primary care physician.
Northern Inyo Healthcare provided a list of emergency symptoms on their Instagram, as follows:
- difficulty breathing
- persistent pain
- pressure in the chest
- new confusion
- inability to awaken
- bluish lips or face, choking
- acute or severe abdominal pain
- severe bleeding
- chest pain
- or any other serious injury
For more information on the topics listed in this article, visit the following sources:
County data on case rates, vaccinations, and local guidelines
Northern Inyo Hospital’s COVID-19 information page
New York Times latest map and case data for COVID-19
To schedule a COVID-19 vaccine or booster shot
Northern Inyo Healthcare’s Instagram page
