Alternate care facilities scaled back as COVID-19 curve flattens

As Illinois continues to flatten its curve in new coronavirus cases, Gov. JB Pritzker said they are making adjustments to alternate care facilities in the state.

Pritzker said that only 1,000 of the planned 3,000 hospital beds at Chicago’s McCormick Place will remain operational. Beds already installed will not be disassembled, but he said some personnel set to work at the field hospital will now be deployed to “other areas of need” like nursing homes and other facilities where there may be a reduction of staff.

“We have made alterations at McCormick Place where there are fewer beds that will be available than the original plan because it appears, at least for the moment, that we’re only gradually increasing the number of… hospitalizations,” Pritzker said. “And the result of that is we will probably need fewer beds there.”

Work has been completed to prepare Westlake Hospital in Melrose Park, the old Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin and MetroSouth Medical Center in Blue Island as alternate care facilities, which officials previously said would host upwards of 730 temporary hospital beds.

Pritzker said Saturday that at this point, they have not yet been “turned on” and would only be used if there is a need for more hospital and ICU beds.

“Those other facilities don’t need to be spun up until there is a projection that we will need that capability,” he said. “We’re making them ready, so they’re in a state of readiness, but it doesn’t appear at the moment that we will need them in the near future.”

Vibra Hospital in Springfield is being kept “at bay” in case it needs to be used at a later date, Pritzker said.

About 35 percent of the state’s 31,989 total hospital beds were available as of Sunday, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. Twenty-seven percent of its 3,631 ICU beds were available, as were 57 percent of its 3,326 ventilators.

Officials announced 139 more deaths over the weekend, bringing the state’s total to 1,933. There were 4,245 new cases reported over the weekend, bringing the state’s total to 43,903 cases in 96 counties.

As testing capacities ramp up in the state, Pritzker clarified on Sunday that anyone who has COVID-like symptoms can get a test. That is in contrast to the department’s guidance, which says one has to have symptoms and either contact with someone confirmed to have the virus or a compromised immune system or a serious, chronic medical condition.

Pritzker agreed when asked if the state’s courts should quickly take up a lawsuit filed last week by Rep. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, to block the modified stay-at-home order from going into effect. A hearing on the suit is scheduled for Monday.

“The obvious answer to this, frankly, is that the governor has the authority to issue a disaster proclamation and to put in place executive orders that are all about saving lives,” Pritzker said, adding state officials have previously extended orders in cases such as flooding.

Pritzker added that he has not spoken with Missouri Gov. Mike Parson about how the planned reopening of Missouri businesses on May 4 could impact the Metro East area, which has reported nearly 1,000 COVID-19 cases as of Sunday. Pritzker said local health officials in the region are working with their counterparts in the St. Louis area to prepare for the possible impact.

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