‘Look at the reality of it’: As infections subside, omicron is affecting hospitals after all

Stock photo.| Photo by Ivan-balvan/iStock/Getty Images Plus, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — Any thought that the omicron variant would not hit hospitals as badly as previous variants have been dashed by a look in the COVID-19 wards of St. George Regional Hospital and other local medical facilities. After two weeks of the worst number of infections of the entire pandemic locally, the cycle has also led to continuing hospitalizations and deaths.

Registered Nurse Morgan Flynn prepares to enter a patient’s room in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, in Lebanon, N.H., Monday, Jan. 3, 2022 | Associated Press file photo/Steven Senne, St. George News

Officials at the 284-bed capacity St. George Regional Hospital say they have been in the 270s for most of the week with the number of COVID-19 patients hovering between the mid-70s and 80s. As of Thursday morning, there were 270 patients in the hospital with 79 COVID-19 patients.

Intermountain Healthcare, the parent company of the hospital, continues to say that more than 85% of the COVID-19 patients at its hospitals are unvaccinated and less than 4% are boosted. 

Statewide, the last two days have seen the highest amount of COVID-19 hospitalizations and intensive care unit admissions of the entire pandemic, according to the Utah Department of Health. 

The number of infections has been subsiding from the record levels they had been for much of the last three weeks. That said, up until three weeks ago, the 470 infections in Southern Utah reported Thursday would have shattered any pandemic record from 2021 or 2020. 

Dr. Wing Province, senior trauma medical director with Intermountain Healthcare, seen during a Zoom teleconference on Jan. 20, 2022 | Zoom screenshot, St. George News

But Dr. Wing Province, senior trauma medical director for Intermountain Healthcare, told reporters in a conference call Thursday, that it is way too early to talk about the pandemic subsiding. He said to look at the hospitalizations, which have never been higher.

“A lot of people just pay attention to the positive tests but the true mark is the number of hospitalizations,” Province said. “I hear people say, ‘I just want to get it over with,’ but look at the reality of it – hospitalizations are really high.”

Those in the medical field say as fatigued as the public is with COVID-19, those on the front lines are beyond tired at this point but feel they are getting little help toward bringing the disease down to an endemic point where hospitals can return to normal. 

Stock photo | Photo by Michele Ursi/iStock/Getty Images Plus, St. George News

“I’d like to get back to other things than take care of COVID. We, doctors and nurses, wish it could have been over with too. We think it could have been over if proper health measures had been taken by the public. But the reality is it’s still here,” Province said. “We’ve had more deaths because people just put their needs ahead of others. If people wore masks and got boosted, this could have ended long ago.”

There were 15 people in Southern Utah who were added by the Utah Department of Health in the last week to those who have died of COVID-19. 

“As long as we put the needs of ourselves ahead of others, the pandemic will continue,” Province said. “It’s a pandemic of disease, but also a pandemic of morals.”

Southern Utah coronavirus count as of Thursday, according to Utah Department of Health

Note: State recommendation to not get tested if one feels symptoms and the increase of at-home tests make the numbers below an undercount of actual infections.

Positive COVID-19 tests: 59,256 (7-day average of 518 per day, down 8.6% in last week)

Active cases: 10,418 (rising since Jan. 20)

  • Washington County (High in Transmission Index): 2,892.17 per 100K rate in 14 days, rising since Jan. 20
  • Iron County (High):  3,655.79, rising
  • Kane County (High): 1,352.13, rising
  • Garfield County (High): 1,722.77, rising
  • Beaver County (High): 2,603.17, rising

Hospitalized: 79 (steady, data updated as of Jan. 20)

Deaths: 545 (15 since Jan. 20)

New infections per day in Southern Utah:

  • Friday (Jan. 21): 655
  • Saturday (Jan. 22): 654
  • Sunday (Jan. 23): 525
  • Monday (Jan. 24): 305
  • Tuesday (Jan. 25): 510
  • Wednesday (Jan. 26): 507
  • Thursday (Jan. 27): 470

Current Utah seven-day average: 7,820 (falling)

Fully vaccinated in Southern Utah: 120,540 (46.1% fully vaccinated, +0.2% since Jan. 20)

  • St. George: 49.63% fully vaccinated (+0.22%)  
  • Cedar City: 42% (+0.24%) 
  • Washington City: 45.15% (+0.19%) 
  • Ivins/Santa Clara: 52.61% (+0.22%) 
  • Hurricane/LaVerkin: 39.35% (+0.14%)  
  • Enterprise/Veyo/Springdale/Hildale: 45.01% (+0.14%) 
  • Beaver/Garfield/Kane counties: 45.14% (+0.14%)

Southern Utah schools with active COVID-19 infections as of Thursday, according to Utah Department of Health

NOTE: Utah Department of Health currently provides only ranges of the number of infections in each district, rather than exact figures. Figures may be an overall undercount as not all infections among students are reported to the state.

    • Washington County School District: 471 to 501 (rising since Jan. 20)
    • Iron County School District: 176 to 179 (rising)
    • Kane County School District: 13 to 16 (rising)
    • Garfield County School District: 5-25 (rising)
    • Beaver County School District: 16-22 (falling)
    • Southwest Utah Charter Schools: 75-96 (rising)
    • Southwest Utah Private Schools: 0 (falling)

Schools in red (30 or more infections): Cedar City High (Iron), Snow Canyon High (Washington), Pine View High (Washington), Dixie High (Washington).

Schools in yellow (15-29 infections): Crimson Cliffs High (Washington), Dixie Middle School (Washington), Cedar Middle School (Iron), Snow Canyon Middle School (Washington), Hurricane High (Washington), Desert Hills High (Washington), Canyon View Middle School (Washington), Canyon View High School (Washington), Lava Ridge Intermediate (Washington), George Washington Academy (Southwest Utah – Charter), Desert Hills Middle School (Washington), Sunrise Ridge Intermediate (Washington), Vista School (Southwest Utah – Charter).
Top 5 schools: Cedar City High (Iron) 41 active infections, Snow Canyon High (Washington) 37, Pine View High (Washington) 37, Dixie High (Washington) 32, Crimson Cliffs High (Washington) 26.

Getting the COVID-19 vaccine

  • Those who can currently get the first dose of the vaccine: Everyone ages 5 and over. Those 5-18 can only receive the Pfizer vaccine. Use vaccinefinder.org to find clinics that have the Pfizer vaccine.
  • Those who can receive the second dose: Those who received their first injection 28 days or more before the appointment time.
  • Those who can receive a booster dose: Those who received Pfizer or Moderna at least five months ago and are 12 or older. Those who received Johnson & Johnson at least two months ago and are 18 or older. Booster shots can be of any form of COVID-19 vaccine.
  • The Southwest Utah Public Health Department have returned to walk-in appointments. Some pharmacies and stores are offering walk-up appointments. Check the links below before going.
  • Must wear a short-sleeve shirt at appointment and should have a personal ID.
  • Vaccines are free of charge.

Washington County:

Where: Southwest Utah Public Health Department St. George office, 620 S. 400 East, St George

For hours and more information: Click here 

Iron County:

Where: Southwest Utah Public Health Department Cedar City office, 260 DL Sargent Dr., Cedar City, 84721.

For hours and more information: Click here 

Kane County:

Where: Southwest Utah Public Health Department Kanab office, 445 N. Main St., Kanab.

For hours and more information: Click here 

Garfield County:

Where: Southwest Utah Public Health Department Panguitch office, 601 Center St., Panguitch.

For hours and more information: Click here 

Beaver County:

Where: Southwest Utah Public Health Department Beaver Office,  75 1175 North, Beaver.

For hours and more information: Click here 

St. George Regional Hospital/Intermountain Healthcare:

Where: 400 East Campus St. George Regional Hospital,  544 S. 400 East, St. George.

Reservations: Click to register

FourPoints Health:

Where: Various locations.

For hours and more information:: Click here

Revere Health:

Where: Revere Health Campus,  2825 E. Mall Drive, St. George.

Reservations: Call (435) 673-6131 to determine if the vaccine is available.

Albertsons:

Where: 745 N Dixie Dr in St. George and 915 Red Cliffs Dr. in Washington City.

Reservations: Click to register

Harmons:

Where: 1189 E. 700 South in St. George and 3520 Pioneer Parkway in Santa Clara.

Reservations: Click to register

Lin’s Marketplace:

Where: 1930 W. Sunset Blvd. and 2928 E. Mall Drive in St. George, 1120 State St. in Hurricane and 150 N Main St. in Cedar City.

Reservations: Click to register

Smith’s Food and Drug:

Where: 20 N. Bluff St. and 565 S. Mall Drive in St. George and 633 S. Main St. in Cedar City.

Reservations: Click to register

Target:

Where: 275 S River Rd. in St. George.

Reservations: Click to register

Walmart:

Where: 2610 Pioneer Rd. in St. George, 625 W. Telegraph St. in Washington City, 180 N. 3400 West in Hurricane and 1330 S. Providence Center Dr. in Cedar City.

Reservations: Click to register

Family pharmacies:

Where: Several locations

Reservations: Use vaccinefinder.org to find a location near you

COVID-19 information resources

St. George News has made every effort to ensure the information in this story is accurate at the time it was written. However, as the situation and science surrounding the coronavirus continues to evolve, it’s possible that some data has changed.

Check the resources below for up-to-date information and resources.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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