GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Green Bay’s fire chief says the city’s four hospitals have been operating near 97% capacity as plans are being developed on how to respond to COVID-19 patients.
Brown County doesn’t have a confirmed case of COVID-19, but Chief David Litton warned city council members during a special Tuesday night meeting that could change quickly.
“We are at the tip of the tip of the tip of the iceberg right now.”
Litton says the pandemic combined with a harsh influenza season likely explains the hospitals operating near capacity.
He isn’t sure what the average capacity is but estimates it is between 75% and 80%.
FOX 11 asked Litton if the hospitals would still be near 97% capacity if coronavirus was not a factor.
“Yeah, they would be. I think right now there is no known cases in Brown County. There’s been no tests confirming anything. Everything we’ve seen so far as the testing at this point has come back as Influenza A.”
A spokesperson for St. Vincent and St. Mary’s hospitals tells FOX 11 the hospitals were not operating near capacity Tuesday night, but “that could change on any given day at any given time.”
Council members were surprised to hear hospitals could be near capacity.
“Equally alarming was hearing or getting an update that paramedics would not be transporting people to be tested at hospitals,” said Jesse Brunette, a Green Bay alder.
“When you look at the health system throughout the region, we’ve been very fortunate to have very good health facilities but to see with the seasonal flu and now with this virus that we are reaching capacity, it’s very concerning.”
Litton says people with COVID-19 symptoms who are in life-threatening circumstances will be transported to hospitals. He explained time disinfecting ambulances from transporting all people experiencing COVID-19 symptoms is the reason for the policy.
Litton also told the council 14 emergency responders are currently under quarantine. All had traveled to known coronavirus hotspots and had no known contact with anyone locally experiencing symptoms.
Litton tells FOX 11 the fire department has been planning for things to get worse, potentially with ambulances only carrying one responder to certain calls.
“Instead of having two paramedics on an ambulance, at some point we may have to have only one. Just a driver really and one paramedic in the back. That is something we’re not close to getting to at this point, but we’re making contingency plans to do so.”
At the end of the meeting, the council passed a proclamation declaring a state of emergency for the city’s COVID-19 response.
