By Jon King/jking@whmi.com


Preparations are underway for local care facilities to begin accepting COVID-19 patients from area hospitals that have been strained by the number of infections.

Already Caretel of Brighton began accepting such patients, while WellBridge Group says they are trying to make a single one of their eight facilities as a COVID-only repository for those patients. The Livingston County Health Department says that given the shortage of hospital beds that is predicted, the transfer of these patients allows those hospitals to continue to care for patients needing advanced support, while recovering patients who need less support can receive that elsewhere. “It is important that we can safely discharge patients to non-hospital settings when appropriate to help hospitals continue to treat critically ill patients affected by COVID-19,” states Dr. Juan Marquez, Medical Director of Livingston County Health Department.

Officials say that COVID-19 is widespread and no county, state, or region is immune to its effect, adding that the disease does not discriminate and neither will their response. Multiple areas in Michigan are experiencing surges of COVID-19 infections at different times. Locations that currently have capacity can help areas with little to no capacity.

In the future, the department notes, those roles may be reversed. “We will all need support throughout this pandemic and we can provide that for each other. Our community and every community will assist each other and the state as a whole in our current time of need. We are all Michiganders, and we are all in this together.”