Matthew Rocco
Hospitals in Pennsylvania and the south Atlantic are treating more Covid-19 patients than at any other point during the pandemic, as the region continues to battle an autumn resurgence of coronavirus.
Pennsylvania counted 6,295 Covid-19 patients currently in hospital, up from 5,970 the day before and the highest level on record, data from the state’s health department showed on Tuesday.
The Keystone State also reported 9,035 new confirmed and probable infections, bringing its cumulative total to more than 500,000.
Hospital admissions also reached new highs in Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina, according to data published on Tuesday.
Maryland’s Covid-19 hospital admissions hit a record high for the second day running, rising by 57 patients to 1,799. The state had as many as 1,711 patients in hospital during an outbreak in the spring.
Governor Larry Hogan noted a grim landmark for the state, writing on Twitter: “It is my sad duty to report that 5,000 Marylanders have now lost their lives to Covid-19.”
In neighbouring Virginia, hospitals tallied 2,361 patients including those who have coronavirus test results pending. That was up from 2,260 a day earlier.
North Carolina had a record 2,735 people in hospital with Covid-19, an increase of 181 in the past 24 hours.
The upward trend in hospital admissions has stood in contrast with the Midwest, where several states have reported a drop in the number of Covid-19 patients actively receiving treatment.
Governors of several Midwest states, as well as Kentucky, teamed up on Twitter to jointly encourage families to exercise caution over the coming holiday season.
“The best way we can protect our families, workers and slow the spread of this virus is to double down on mask wearing, social distancing and washing our hands frequently,” said Indiana governor Eric Holcomb.
A decline in Midwest hospital admissions has offered a positive sign that the region may be turning a corner after becoming a hotspot for coronavirus in the early autumn.
Wisconsin hospitals had 1,471 Covid-19 patients as of Monday, down from a peak of 2,278 on November 17, according to the Covid Tracking Project.
Michigan’s hospital admissions dropped to 3,802 from a tally of 4,326 at the end of last month.