With COVID Cases Rising, How Are Hospital Capacities Near Wayne?

WAYNE, NJ — The recent spike in COVID-19 cases has put New Jersey hospitals under some stress. The state reported 3,273 hospital patients with confirmed or suspected cases — an increase of about 1,000 in one week and New Jersey's highest figure since January.

Here's how hospitals in the Wayne area fared the week of Dec. 16 — the most recent period of available data from the Department of Health and Human Services:

• St. Joseph's Wayne Hospital: data unavailable
• St. Joseph's University Medical Center (Paterson): 34.27 percent of inpatient beds available, 57.25 percent of ICU beds available
• Chilton Medical Center (Pompton Plains): 39.48 percent of inpatient beds available, 48.57 percent of ICU beds available
• St. Mary's General Hospital (Passaic): 52.38 percent of inpatient beds available, 62.16 percent of ICU beds available
• Valley Hospital (Ridgewood): 17.05 percent of inpatient beds available, 41.27 percent of ICU beds available
• Mountainside Medical Center (Montclair): 41.56 percent of inpatient beds available, 56.25 percent of ICU beds available

The ratio of COVID-19 hospitalizations to total beds provides insight into how much the virus is straining a hospital. A ratio higher than 10 percent is concerning, while anything above 20 percent shows "extreme stress" for the hospital, according to a framework developed by the Institute for the University of Washington's Health Metrics and Evaluation.

In Passaic County, COVID-19 patients occupy 8 percent of inpatient beds, falling below the 10 percent threshold, according to NPR. But in New Jersey, COVID-19 patients are using 14.83 percent of hospital beds, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

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