When Indiana updated it COVID metrics map Wednesday, the northern part of the state was close to solid red, indicating a high infection rate of COVID.
Local hospitals were already well aware of how widespread the delta variant has become. The hospitals are full.
“I would describe the situation at the hospital today as dire or critical,” Dr. Daniel Nafziger said Monday. Nafziger is chief medical officer for Goshen Hospital and is an infectious disease specialist.
In the days since then, the numbers remain high.
Goshen Hospital on Wednesday had 45 people hospitalized who were positive for COVID-19. Forty of those were unvaccinated. The hospital is admitting, on average, four COVID-positive patients per day. Those patients are staying an average of seven days.
Also, in December Goshen Hospital reported two COVID deaths.
At Elkhart General Hospital, Wednesday’s census of admitted COVID patients was 67.
To see the full report from Sheila Selman in the Goshen News, click here.