by Guy Page
As Vermont braces for the Omicron wave, many policymakers and health officials fear it will overwhelm hospital bed capacity, including intensive care units. While no-one can predict the future, no Omicron tsunami has swamped Vermont hospitals yet, federal data suggest.
6.76% of Vermont’s total number of 1227 inpatient hospital beds at 17 hospitals are occupied by Covid-19 patients, today’s U.S. Health and Human Services dashboard shows. In raw numbers, that’s 81 Covid-related inpatients. 430 beds – over a third – are empty.
A third of Vermont’s 102 ICU beds are empty. 14.29 are in use for Covid-19. In raw numbers, that means that 14 ICU beds are “in use for Covid-19,” HHS reports. A third of the ICU beds are currently empty.
Typically this information is shared at Gov. Phil Scott’s weekly press conference. However, the press conference was cancelled as the governor prepares for his State of the State speech at 2 pm today. Another is scheduled for next Tuesday, January 11. The Vermont Daily Chronicle is grateful to eagle-eyed reader John for discovering this valuable reporting tool.
Nationwide, both inpatient and ICU hospitalizations for Covid-19 are about double Vermont’s rate. It remains to be seen whether Vermont’s numbers will soon be more comparable with the national average.