Peterson reports new Kerr County COVID-19 death, hospitalizations rise

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Peterson Health confirmed that one person died on Wednesday from COVID-19, while 22 people tested positive for the virus. 

This latest death is estimated to be the 23rd from Kerr County in December and the 63rd during the coronavirus pandemic. The death is Peterson's seventh this month and 13th since Sept. 29. 

Peterson Regional Medical Center had 31 people hospitalized with the virus on Wednesday. 

During Monday's Kerr County Commissioner's Court meeting, Peterson Health President and CEO Cory Edmondson made a key point, which had previously not been reported, that the state of Texas only considers 88 of the hospital's 124 beds to be fully staffed when it comes to COVID-19 care. The difference is that 26 beds are reserved for rehabilitation, while the remaining 12 can be held as a reserve. Peterson has converted some of those beds to free up capacity. However, it also means that the hospital's percentage of COVID-19 cases is higher than previously reported. 

Earlier this year, Gov. Greg Abbott said hospitals across the state had to maintain at least 15% of capacity for COVID-19 patients. Based on Peterson's own reporting, Peterson Regional Medical Center was last below 15% on Nov. 24. Peterson, again using numbers it presents on its website, has been above 20% COVID-19 patients since at least Dec. 7.  

Even if the full number of beds were counted, Peterson's COVID-19 admissions have exceeded 15% of its capacity since Dec. 15. 

Across Kerr County, social media posts started pouring in about an outbreak at Brookdale Guadalupe River Plaza — a nursing home and assisted living residence. The Texas Health and Human Services will not confirm outbreaks for two weeks when it updates a spreadsheet on its website. That spreadsheet showed that there were no active cases among residents, patients and staff as of Dec. 15. The nursing home side of the facility had six employees who previously tested positive prior to Dec. 15 and just one patient had tested positive, but none were active when the spreadsheet was released publicly. 

Kerrville's five nursing homes have been hit hard by the virus in November and December with 17 people dead and nearly 200 patients and staff infected. 





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