A refrigerated trailer parked next to a regular American hospital in Florida. The hospital is a covid hospital and continues how it can cope with the dramatic increase in new cases of COVD-19. The trailer is very similar to the ones used as a makeshift morgue at the height of the pandemic in 2020
According to Newsweek, the suspicious trailer was spotted again just the other day outside Viera Hospital, the largest hospital in Brevard County, Florida.
“While the trailer may be used as an overflow morgue for our four hospitals, it can also be used by our hospitals for many other needs, including during natural disasters such as hurricanes and tropical storms”, – local officials said, – “This trailer has been in Viera since last year, and its very presence should not cause alarm or contribute to speculation.”
At the same time, according to Florida Today, the first reports of 315 new COVID-19 patients at four Brevard County hospitals: 133 at Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne; 71 at Palm Bay Hospital; 63 at Viera Hospital; and 48 at Cape Canaveral Hospital in Cocoa Beach. As the new Delta strain spreads, more and more people across the country are being admitted to hospitals with severe COVID symptoms, primarily those who have not been voluntarily vaccinated.
Holmes Regional Medical Center and Palm Bay Hospital were forced to take unprecedented measures and set up tents in the open air because the existing bed capacity was unable to cope with the surge in new cases of COVID-19.
Brevard County Emergency Director John Scott said the county’s health system was overwhelmed, with some hospitals having to cancel operations and convert all existing facilities into temporary treatment areas to treat COVID patients.
“It is imperative that we come together, get through this and slow this curve down to take the stress off our hospital system and our health system so that we can take care of everyone who gets sick”, – John Scott said.
It’s gotten to the point where County Fire Chief Mark Schollmeyer has urged residents to only call 911 in the most extreme cases. That way the available ambulances would be maximised to deal with the influx of heavier COVID patients.
“If you’re asymptomatic, it’s not a condition that can be life-threatening and require an ambulance call”, – Schollmeyer told Click Orlando, “We ask citizens to use your home doctor or telemedicine and let the ER handle those whose lives are truly in danger.