The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 surpassed 100 in Monroe County on Thursday for the first time since the pandemic began, according to data from the county public health department.
Three more people died of the disease, the county reported, bringing the total death toll to 91.
Testing has expanded in the county recently as the capacity of local laboratories has slowly increased, but it’s still not enough to keep pace with the number of symptomatic people.
Nonetheless, the county did confirm 41 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Thursday, including two people younger than 19 and two people in their 90s.
Older people in nursing homes have proven especially vulnerable to the virus, but younger people also have been getting sick from it.
Still, the burden on local hospitals has been less than anticipated. County officials said that’s thanks to aggressive distancing measures like closing schools and nonessential businesses.
COVID-19 hospital discharges in Monroe County have largely been keeping pace with new admissions for the disease over the last week, and the number of cases has not pushed up against the health care system’s capacity.
Hospital officials say if that trend continues, they want to resume some of the elective procedures they have been forced to postpone while preparing for a surge.
