Hospital doctors and staff from around the state spoke during Governor John Bel Edwards COVID update yesterday, pleading with the public to follow the mask mandate and get vaccinated.
Staff shortages are affecting many facilities and the staff they do have is getting sick.
Michele Sutton, CEO of North Oaks Health System, said North Oaks in Hammond currently has 62 employees out of 2,700 out with COVID, which means they are only operating 200 beds out of a possible 330. Half of North Oaks patients have COVID and the hospital is on diversion, meaning ambulances are asked to go elsewhere, but other facilities around them are full or short staffed as well.
