Supervisors receive update on Covid-19 impact on hospitals in Pearl River County

Bryan Maxie, Chief Administrative Officer for both Highland Community Hospital (Picayune) and Pearl River County Hospital and Nursing Home (Poplarville) spoke to the Pearl River County Board of Supervisors on Monday to give provide an update on the current status of COVID-19 cases within the county.

Maxie stated that the Covid-19 numbers are as high across all the hospitals he covers as they were when the Coronavirus first started, and are actually climbing. Maxie said that at this time he has had 80 staff members test positive.

Maxie told the Supervisors that Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg is currently on a critical care diversion, meaning that new patients in need of critical care must be sent to other hospitals in the area. Maxie said that Forrest General’s 60 ICU beds are full, but beds are still available within the hospital.

Maxie did offer some encouraging news about a vaccine though. While no date has been set for the general public, front line workers such as doctors, nurses, and first responders should see a vaccine available around the middle of December. Maxie said approximately 975 doses of the vaccine will be available to Forrest General with an unknown number of doses being sent to the other hospitals in our area. Each person receiving the vaccine will have to follow it up with a second injection a few weeks later.

Maxie said that he knows everyone is tiring of the restrictions placed upon the public due to COVID-19, but it is imperative that the public do its best to limit the sizes of the groups they encounter, wear a facemask when in public, and sanitize their hands whenever they touch surfaces used by others.