SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento County is reporting the highest number of COVID-19 hospitalizations since January as health officials call on people to reserve emergency room and ambulance calls for emergencies only.
In a media briefing Wednesday, Sacramento County Public Health Officer Dr. Olivia Kasirye said there were 348 cases of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in the county. That includes 83 people in intensive care units.
"We are making a request to the public that they reserve these resources, emergency room, 911 and ambulance calls only for emergencies that require emergency care," Dr. Kasirye said.
Dr. Kasirye said the Delta variant is impacting younger people, which is reflected in the hospitalizations as well.
Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District has observed an uptick in COVID-19 calls, but most patients have mild symptoms.
"It's rare that we are going on something that is severe or life threatening," said Captain Parker Wilbourn, spokesperson for the fire district.
When an ambulance arrives at the emergency room, it can take between one and three hours for a patient to get a bed, Wilbourn said. For milder symptoms, home care may be a better option.
"Don't allow fear to hinder your decision-making process," Wilbourn said. "Call your primary care doctor, run it by them. See if this is an appropriate avenue to utilize the 911 system."
There are also reports of patients going to the emergency room for a COVID test, but the county health department is encouraging people instead to go to one of 13 community testing sites located in some of the highest need areas in the county.
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