COVID cases drop at most Will County Hospitals

The first round of Pfizer vaccines were distributed

Still, the South Suburban Region, which includes Will County, is still seeing a decline in available medical surgical and intensive care unit beds.

Here are the numbers as of Friday.

Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox is caring for 52 COVID-19-positive patients and one person awaiting test results, according to Silver Cross. In addition, 12 patients are in the intensive care unit and five are on ventilators.

On Wednesday, Silver Cross had 76 COVID-19-positive patients, 11 patients in the ICU and five on ventilators, Silver Cross said.

AMITA Health Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet is caring for 53 COVID-19-positive inpatients and has seven people awaiting test results, said Timothy A. Nelson, spokesman for AMITA Health.

On Wednesday, Saint Joseph had 55 COVID-19-positive inpatients, Nelson said.

AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center Bolingbrook is caring for 23 COVID-19-positive inpatients and has no people awaiting test results, Nelson said.

On Wednesday, Bolingbrook had 22 COVID-19-positive inpatients, Nelson said.

Edward Hospital is treating 76 inpatients with confirmed cases of COVID-19. No inpatients with a confirmed case of COVID-19 have died over the past 24 hours, said Keith Hartenberger, system director and public relations for Edward-Elmhurst Health.

Seventeen inpatients with confirmed cases of COVID-19 were discharged from Edward Hospital over the past 24 hours, Hartenberger said.

On Wednesday, Edward Hospital was treating 79 inpatients with confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Edward Hospital’s sister hospital, Elmhurst Hospital, is treating 42 inpatients with COVID-19. Two inpatients with COVID-19 have died over the past 24 hours.

Six inpatients with a confirmed case of COVID-19 were discharged from Elmhurst Hospital over the past 24 hours, Hartenberger said.

On Wednesday, Elmhurst Hospital, was treating 45 inpatients with COVID-19.

On Thursday, the South Suburban region (Will and Kankakee counties) has 15.9% of its medical/surgical beds available and 18.1 % of ICU beds. The state’s minimum threshold is 20 %, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Health care consultant Jeffrey R. Softcheck said in a Nov. 19 Herald-News story that the situation becomes critical once a region reaches 10% of available beds.

Once a hospital’s capacity becomes really low, hospitals may have to make critical decisions on who does and does not receive care, he said.