Ohio hospitals plead for people to get vaccinated

Cleveland-area hospitals are pleading for residents to get vaccinated and take precautions amid a surge in COVID-19 cases.

Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, MetroHealth, Summa Health, Cleveland VA Medical Center and St. Vincent Charity Medical Center took out a front-page ad in Sunday’s issue of the Plain Dealer asking citizens to do their part.

“We need your help. We now have more COVID-19 patients in our hospitals than ever before. And the overwhelming majority are unvaccinated,” the ad said.

The group added that the situation is “preventable” and that “the best way to avoid serious illness is the vaccine.”

“So, get vaccinated and get your booster. And keep taking all of the standard precautions like social distancing, washing your hands, and of course, mask up – even if you’re vaccinated. If you do feel sick, get tested for COVID-19 at your local pharmacy, urgent care or physician’s office. Not the ER. Then please encourage neighbors, friends and family to take all these steps, too,” it added.

“We need you to care as much as we do,” the health care facilities added.

This move by health care institutions in Cleveland comes just a week after Minnesota hospital leaders also warned in a full-page newspaper ad that they are “overwhelmed” amid a COVID-19 surge.

Less than 55 percent of residents in Ohio are fully vaccinated, and about 36 percent are fully vaccinated with a booster shot. The state has seen a 30 percent increase in coronavirus cases in the past week, with deaths up 16 percent, according to The Washington Post’s tracker.

As of Dec. 19, a total of 1,847,140 coronavirus cases have been reported in Ohio, leading to 92,519 hospitalizations and 11,383 admissions into the intensive care unit, NBC4 reported.

The Ohio Department of Health reported 434 deaths on Friday, bringing the state total to 28,028.

Francis Collins, the outgoing National Institutes of Health director, warned that the U.S. could clock 1 million COVID-19 infections per day if Americans don’t take coronavirus precautions.