Salinas Valley Health Medical Center Opens Second COVID-19 Unit Expands Hotline Hours

Media Contact: Karina Rusk
831-759-1843

For the second week in a row Salinas Valley Health is seeing a record high number of positive COVID-19 patients that need hospitalization. Skilled clinical professionals are currently caring for 22 COVID-19 patients at Salinas Valley Health Medical Center, three of them requiring the use of a ventilator.

“We cannot get to the dangerous point of taxing medical center capacity, and that appears a very real possibility right now,” said Pete Delgado, President/CEO of Salinas Valley Health. “Our team is doing an outstanding job making adjustments to safely accommodate all of our patients however, I’m concerned we may see another wave of COVID patients related to recent holiday gatherings.”

In the past four weeks, Salinas Valley Health has seen a dramatic increase in key COVID-19 indicators. One month ago, on June tenth, 302 people had tested positive at Salinas Valley Health. Today, that number has more than doubled and stands at 736 positive cases. A month ago, there were 9 hospitalized COVID-19 patients compared to the 22 positive patients currently receiving medical care.

The original COVID-19 Unit at Salinas Valley Health can care for 14 patients in individualized rooms, all requiring nurses wear full personal protective gear to enter. Salinas Valley Health Medical Center has now opened up a second unit in the medical center to care for COVID-19 patients. Additional surge plan contingencies will be rolled out as needed. In anticipation of the pandemic spread, Salinas Valley Health Medical Center activated its Hospital Incident Command System in early February. The medical center is working with Monterey County Health Department and other partner medical centers to carefully monitor conditions and facility capacity.

Salinas Valley Health has expanded the hours of its free, bilingual COVID-19 hotline. Registered nurses are available to answer questions from the public as well as from provider offices seven days a week from 7am-11pm.

“We know what works in helping to slow the spread,” said Delgado. “It’s simple and we must not get complacent. Wear a face covering. Wash your hands frequently and practice social distancing, even when you’re outside. It’s not too late to turn things around.”

Today, the Monterey County Health Department reported a total of 31,795 people had been tested with a total of 2,419 positive results. For more information and resources, go to svmh.com/coronavirus.