ABILENE, Texas — Hendrick Health: Health System in Abilene and Brownwood has increased the COVID-19 Community Safety Level dial Level 5, meaning the risk level is critical.
This is partly because of the unavailability of ICU beds, the positivity rates they are seeing among people choosing to be tested, and active cases in Taylor and Brown counties.
Medical officials want to make sure they are taking proactive steps to signal the community on what's going on, so they can take the appropriate reactive steps moving forward.
As a result, hospital rules have changed. Visitors are limited to one per patient, and masks are required at all facilities. Visitors will not be allowed for COVID-19 positive patients, with exceptions possibly applicable for pediatrics and end-of-life.
"We are needing to restrict visitation down further. So we are at one visitor at a time for all patients, except pediatrics, so that they can have parents there and in a life or death situation. We hate to have to do that. We know that being in the hospital is stressful, and you want your loved ones around you. But we have to protect our employees, and the other patients that are not positive," Susan Greenwood, Hendrick Health vice president and chief nursing officer, said.
Hendrick officials said getting a COVID-19 vaccine is critical at this time, especially since the delta variant is more contagious than the previous strain. However, health officials want to stress to the community the advantage of the vaccine playing a part as a combative tool.
"Before, we had to react by staying home and wearing masks. This time we need to react by getting vaccinated," Greenwood said.
Click here to schedule a COVID-10 vaccine appointment with the Abilene-Taylor County Public Health District.
