COVID cases at Will County Hospitals still climbing

The number of COVID positive patients Will County Hospitals are treating continues to rise.

Here are the numbers as of Thursday.

Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox is caring for 123 COVID-19 positive patients today and three patients awaiting test results, according to Debra Robbins, director of marketing and community relations at Silver Cross.

AMITA Health Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet is caring for 77 COVID-19 positive inpatients today and 37 people awaiting test results, according to Timothy A. Nelson, spokesman for AMITA Health.

AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center Bolingbrook is caring for 37 COVID-19 positive inpatients and two people awaiting test results, Nelson also said. Yesterday the number of inpatients was 44.

Edward Hospital is treating 95 inpatients with confirmed cases of COVID-19. There was one death of an inpatient with a confirmed case of COVID-19 over the last 24 hours. Edward has had 71 deaths of patients with confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Seven inpatients with confirmed cases of COVID-19 were discharged from Edward Hospital over the last 24 hours. Since March 24, 948 patients have been discharged from Edward Hospital following treatment for confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Edward Hospital’s sister hospital, Elmhurst Hospital, is treating 77 inpatients with confirmed cases of COVID-19. There were no deaths of inpatients with confirmed cases of COVID-19 over the last 24 hours. Elmhurst Hospital has had 110 deaths of patients with confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Fourteen inpatients with confirmed cases of COVID-19 were discharged from Elmhurst Hospital over the last 24 hours. Since March 24, 856 patients have been discharged from Elmhurst Hospital following treatment for confirmed cases of COVID-19.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the South Suburban region (Will and Kankakee counties) has11% of the its medical/surgical beds available and 15% of ICU beds, below the state's minimum threshold of 20%.

Per IDPH, there are 24 ICU beds available out of 162 for Will and Kankakee counties combined.

Health care consultant Jeffrey R. Softcheck said on Wednesday 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.