COURT HOUSE – Overnight Dec. 28 to 29, Cape Regional Medical Center’s emergency room (ER) was in a primary diversion status for 10 hours, meaning it had very limited capacity to absorb new emergency cases.
During a primary diversion, Cape Regional will always accept patients experiencing life-threatening illness or injury, but the hospital advises EMTs and paramedics about current capacity limits and allows them to make a judgement on the best place to take a patient based on the patient’s best interests.
When the county’s only hospital emergency room is at capacity and must go into primary diversion status, it has a potential impact on the entire county.
The diversion status was due in large part to Covid. According to a hospital spokesperson, the ER at one point had 60 patients waiting to be seen, with 18 possible Covid patients being evaluated for positivity.
Dec. 27, the hospital reported 19 Covid cases amongst patients. Two days later, Dec. 29, the hospital said it had 27 inpatients with the virus, six of whom require intensive care.
Cape Regional’s emergency room is currently accepting patients again. The diversion was lifted at 7:30 a.m. Dec. 29.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.
