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In late April, Palomar Health laid off 317 employees, which the union members said exacerbated issues. Author: City News Service Updated: 7:26 PM PST December 11, 2020
SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. Registered nurses and caregivers gathered outside Palomar Medical Center Poway Friday morning to protest what they say are unsafe working conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic, a claim which the healthcare system described as appalling and irresponsible.
The disagreement stems from a waiver Palomar Health received from the California Department of Public Health on Wednesday which allows the Poway campus to assign one intensive care nurse to care for up to three patients, depending on patient acuity. Nurses say they are already overworked. In late April, Palomar Health laid off 317 employees, which the union members said exacerbated issues.
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With the potential coronavirus fallout from the Thanksgiving holiday still to be fully realized, Orange County virus trends are on a troubling course as health officials on Wednesday reported a record-high number of new infections and COVID-19 hospitalizations.
Orange County Health Care Agency officials recorded 2,613 new cases the highest single-day total recorded in the county so far during the pandemic bringing the cumulative total of coronavirus infections to 93,126 cases. With no new deaths reported, fatalities remain at 1,633.
Area hospitals on Wednesday reported 974 residents were being treated for COVID-19, with 239 in intensive care units.
That burden is impacting the availability of ICU beds, a key metric in determining how long Orange County will have to follow stay-at-home orders issued by the state on Saturday. Only 11.2% of countywide beds were still open as of Wednesday, compared to 13% the day before and 18% Monday.