Florida county asks residents to use 911 sparingly as COVID hospitalizations surge

Officials in one Florida county are calling on residents to use emergency hotlines in moderation as a surge in COVID-19 cases overflow local hospitals and inundate ambulance services. Mark Schollmeyer, the Brevard County fire chief, explained how the surge is creating issues for first responders. 

"There is a capacity issue at our local hospitals dealing with this new surge in COVID-19," Schollmeyer told CBS News. "Crowding in the ERs has caused us to hold the wall and wait for our patients to offload before we run the next call." Schollmeyer said residents should use 911 sparingly for non-emergency issues and consider other options such as contacting a primary care physician or utilizing telemedicine before calling ambulance services. "Leave emergency room and ambulance trips for those with life-threatening or serious emergencies," he said.