‘We’re begging you’: Ohio hospitals have more COVID-19 patients in emergency rooms than ever before

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Hospitals in Northeast Ohio are reporting an all-time high number of COVID-19 patients in emergency rooms.

A statement from MetroHealth said the current number of patients in ERs and intensive care units in Ohio hospitals is the highest it has ever been.

The Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, Summa Health, Cleveland VA Medical Center, and St. Vincent Charity Medical Center were tagged in the post. All of the hospital systems are based in Northeast Ohio.

We’re begging you. Hospitals across Ohio have more COVID-19 patients in their ERs and ICUs than ever before. The overwhelming majority are unvaccinated. This is preventable — the best way to avoid serious illness is the vaccine. So, get vaccinated and get your booster. pic.twitter.com/1hUXjLbqG3
— MetroHealth (@metrohealthCLE) December 19, 2021

Most of the hospitalized individuals are unvaccinated against the coronavirus, the hospitals said.

The same hospital systems delivered a powerful statement over the weekend with a full-page message featured in The Plain Dealer.

“Help,” it stated.

A message from our health systems in today’s Plain Dealer. pic.twitter.com/B60AnzgBJu
— Kaitlin Durbin (@njKaitlinDurbin) December 19, 2021

19 News interviewed Cuyahoga County Board of Health Commissioner Terry Allan at noon on Monday.

According to data from the New York Times, Cuyahoga County’s COVID-19 case per capita is among the highest in the entire country.

According to the Ohio Department of Health, more than twice as many COVID-19 cases were reported in Cuyahoga County over the last two weeks than in any of the state’s 88 counties; the most in Ohio.