Portland hospitals call in portable mortuary trucks as COVID cases remain high
By SIMON GUTIERREZ
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PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) — Two Portland area hospitals have called in portable mortuary trucks, as emergency rooms and Intensive Care Units across the metro area continue to struggle with record numbers of COVID-19 patients.
Providence Portland and Providence St. Vincent are at over capacity on a daily basis.
“With the increased volume in our COVID population and with those patients being as sick as they are, we are seeing unfortunately some of these patients just aren’t surviving the treatment and the disease. The morgues that we have on campus each hold less than 10 patients, and so there just isn’t the space available that we need,” said Jennifer Gentry, Providence’s Regional Chief Nursing Officer.
In Clark County, meanwhile, COVID-19 case rates and hospitalizations are higher than they’ve been at any time during the pandemic.
“These case increases are occurring in all age groups, with the highest rates in young adults 20-39 years of age,” said Dr. Alan Melnick, Clark County’s Health Officer.
Melnick said only 59% of people in Clark County who are eligible to be vaccinated have been fully vaccinated, and the overwhelming majority of hospitalizations and deaths are among the unvaccinated.
The Oregon Health Authority reported on Friday the number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 1,172, which is 41 more than Thursday. There are 309 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is one more than the previous day.
There are 49 available adult ICU beds out of 683 total (7% availability) and 309 available adult non-ICU beds out of 4,289 (7% availability).
There are 24 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 3,272.
OHA reported 2,379 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 bringing the state total to 283,873.
Health officials are also urging Oregonians to stay home this Labor Day weekend.
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