In September, over four days, six people died at St Mary’s Hospital, in Newport, with Covid-19 — more than in April, May, June and July combined.
Oldham: We have seen the impact of previous large scale events
Maggie Oldham, the Isle of Wight NHS Trust’s chief executive, said,
“We know people are tired of the pandemic and want life to get back to normal, but the risks of this virus have not gone away.
“There are some very sick people in hospital and, sadly, members of our community continue to die having being diagnosed with Covid-19.
“We have seen the impact of previous large scale events, both on the Island and on the mainland, and fully expect the number of cases and hospitalisations to rise in the coming weeks – putting our staff under even greater pressure.”
Surge of cases
The surge of cases over the holidays has left the NHS on the Island under intense pressure, with an increase in the number of people needing care.
According to the Government’s Covid Dashboard, as of Tuesday 7th September there were 34 people Covid-19 patients in hospital and nine are relying on mechanical ventilation.
The trust is also gearing up for more potential challenges this winter, responding to a new flu season while continuing to clear the backlog created by the previous waves of the pandemic.
Remember: Hands, Face, Space
Ms Oldham added,
“We will do everything we can to keep people safe but we need the public’s help.
“We need people to make sure they are fully vaccinated and help control the spread of the virus. Remember: Hands, Face, Space.”
Our thoughts are with all those who have lost loved ones due to Covid-19.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is part of. Read here to find about more about how that scheme works on the Island. Some alterations and additions may have been made by News OnTheWight. Ed
Image: Harsha K R under CC BY 2.0
