ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — All elective surgeries and procedures — regardless of an overnight stay — will be put on pause starting this weekend at BayCare facilities in the Tampa Bay area, the hospital system announced.
This includes hospitals in Pasco, Pinellas and Polk counties starting Saturday, Aug. 14. Procedures in Hillsborough County were put on hold earlier this month.
Health officials blame the rapid rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations for the decision. On Thursday, the Florida Hospital Association said there are 15,358 patients with a confirmed case of COVID-19 — another new record.
"COVID-19 hospitalizations have increased 10-fold since the beginning of July, and today we have more than 1,000 COVID positive patients in our 14 acute care hospitals across the Tampa Bay area," Glenn Waters, the chief operating officer for BayCare, said in a statement.
Waters says by pausing elective surgeries, ones that can be postponed without danger to the patient, hospitals can reserve staff and resources to care for those with more urgent needs.
"We deeply regret the impact this can make on many people," Waters said. "We will continue to evaluate the situation and determine at a later date when we can reschedule these appointments."
AdventHealth Dade City, Sebring and Zephyrhills on Thursday also announced they, too, will be postponing non-urgent elective procedures that require an overnight stay.