The director of the Springfield-Greene County Health Department said Thursday there’s no longer an immediate need for an alternate care site for COVID-19 patients, and it’s not because numbers are down.
Katie Towns said, while waiting for approval from the state, area hospitals moved forward with addressing immediate need by hiring additional staff and repurposing existing spaces. That allows the hospitals to address the current surge, according to Towns.
In a statement, Mercy Springfield said the need was more about staff than space, and it’s brought in more caregivers. The hospital in Springfield is currently caring for 160 COVID patients, including three under the age of 10, according to Mercy.
On Thursday, 267 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Greene County, the second highest number of hospitalizations due to the illness since the pandemic began. Thirty-two Greene County residents have died just this month.
The State of Missouri sent an ambulance strike team to Springfield to help transport patients and also helped facilitate a monoclonal antibody infusion center.
