MIDLAND, Texas — COVID-19 cases are rising dramatically across the Permian Basin.
Last week, Midland saw more cases than ever before. Hospitals, like Midland Memorial, are starting to feel the strain.
MMH CEO, Rusell Meyers said they are seeing more COVID-19 patients in need of extensive care. Of the 52 COVID-19 patients at Midland Memorial Hospital, 29 are in critical care.
"Our percentage of critical care COVID-19 patients is much higher than in the past," Meyers said. "We were running 15 to 20 percent critical care before and today it’s 50 Percent."
This is a big concern because of it's stretching hospital resources.
“Our resources in critical care are taxed without question," Meyers said. "They require intensive nurse staffing and respiratory nurse staffing because so many of the patients are on ventilators.”
32 of 44 ventilators are in use, the most ventilators have been in use at the hospital since the pandemic began.
As for staff, 29 employees are out because they have tested positive for COVID-19.
41 are quarantined at home because they have been exposed.
“We have little to no evidence of our employees getting COVID at the hospital," Meyers said. "But because our workforce lives in our community, and go out in the community where people may not be wearing masks, or practicing social distancing we all remain at risk.”
Along with those trends, Midland Memorial Hospital said testing is up.
Last week, at their drive-thru testing site, they tested around 900 people.
That is the highest amount of COVID-19 tests they have performed in a week since the pandemic began.
The hospital leadership said they plan on opening another floor that would provide 12 more beds for COVID patients.
The floor is being remodeled, and needs to be inspected, but they hope to open as early as next week. .