Local Avera health officials say COVID-19 numbers are creeping up again. In a conference call on Tuesday, Avera Queen of Peace Hospital Chief Medical Officer Dr. Hilary Rockwell says the increase started a couple of months ago. “Last year about this time, we were coming to you with a similar story that we’re full and that COVID numbers are up,” said Rockwell. “We have had fewer COVID hospitalizations this year, but it’s lasting longer. We really started to go up in October, and it’s continued to hold steady or increase.”
She encourages people to get vaccinated to help slow the spread and encourages those who have been vaccinated to get a booster shot. She says everyone is now eligible for free COVID-19 vaccinations.
Avera Regional President and Avera Queen of Peace CEO Doug Ekeren says the average age of those hospitalized with COVID-19 this year is 50 compared with 70 last year. Ekeren says while COVID-19 seems to have ebbed and flowed to the general public, it has been here nonstop for health care workers.
Here in Mitchell, Rockwell says there are an average of 7 to 11 people hospitalized with COVID-19. One-third to one-half of those are in the ICU.