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Hospital resources stretched thin as beds fill up

There are currently about 3,000 people hospitalized with the coronavirus across the state, and a hospital in Union County is adding more beds to its ICU.

LEWISBURG, Pa. — Evangelical Community Hospital currently has 25 patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Six of those people are in the intensive care unit, and several more are waiting for ICU beds.

Like many hospitals across Pennsylvania, Evangelical Community Hospital near Lewisburg is seeing its highest number of COVID-19 cases, with 25 listed on Thursday.

"17 of them are on our regular COVID unit, mostly getting oxygen support and other medical needs. We have six patients in the ICU, and we have several patients holding right now for admission," said Kendra Aucker, hospital president and CEO.

Aucker says the hospital is adding two more beds to its COVID-19 ICU and will open a seven-bed non-COVID-19 intensive care unit. The hospital is redirecting staff to other areas to assist.

"It's all hands on deck, and you deploy your resources where you need to."

RELATED: COVID-19 update: 7,126 additional cases, new daily record

Evangelical's COVID-19 testing site is seeing record numbers. Aucker expects those numbers to continue to rise.

"Usually, we go from 65 to 110. We've been pushing 140 to 150. Yesterday, we were at 180."

The positivity rate is at 18 percent over the last seven days, which Aucker says is the highest it has been in this area. Aucker says she does not think the community understands how serious this is.

"It is demoralizing to the staff when you're dealing with the kinds of people that you are and how sick they are and taking care of them, and being with people who are dying and can't have their families there, and people in the public don't take it seriously and are annoyed about having to wear a mask."

Hospital officials say you can help by wearing a mask, washing your hands, and social distancing.

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