COVID: In Florida hospitals, 'there are only so many beds'

A South Florida hospital chain is suspending elective surgeries and putting beds in conference rooms, an auditorium and even a cafeteria as many more patients seek treatment for COVID-19

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- A South Florida hospital chain is suspending elective surgeries and putting beds in conference rooms, an auditorium and even a cafeteria as many more patients seek treatment for COVID-19. “We are seeing a surge like we’ve not seen before in terms of the patients coming,” Memorial Healthcare System's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Marc Napp said Wednesday during a news conference in Hollywood. Napp said they've opened up an additional 250 beds at Memorial's six hospitals in Broward County. Unlike during last year’s spring and summer COVID surges when many sick people tried to avoid hospitals for fear of catching the virus, patients suffering from other ailments are also seeking treatment now, Napp explained.