While the region sees an influx of COVID-19 cases, characterized in dire terms by the Wolf administration on Monday -- one local organization is confident they can weather the storm.
"We're busy, but we are not overwhelmed in any way," said Leslie Davis, Senior Vice President of UPMC. "There's really a calm feeling among our hospitals, whether it's north-central Pennsylvania, central Pennsylvania, the Altoona region, the western Maryland region; these are areas that have become much busier."
Davis says the increase in COVID-19 cases hasn't interfered with normal operations and encourages people seeking routine care or even elective procedures to proceed as normal, warning that postponing such care could potentially lead to complications.
On Monday, Governor Tom Wolf and Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said the state's COVID-19 cases reached critical levels.
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"Already we're hearing stories about hospitals forced to divert patients to other treatment facilities because of full emergency rooms and overwhelming needs," Wolf said.
"If we don't slow the spread of this dangerous virus now, the reality is that COVID-19 will overwhelm our hospitals and our healthcare workers," Gov. Wolf said."That's dangerous for every one who needs medical care in a hospital for any reason, because it stretches resources and staff to the breaking point."
Vaccine shipments are on their way to hospitals across the country, but they aren't ready to be used just yet.
Doctor Graham Snyder, Dr. Graham Snyder, medical director of infection prevention and hospital epidemiology at UPMC, says they have their own independent team analyzing the vaccines to ensure they are safe for use.
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"Until they are satisfied that the vaccine is safe and appropriate for the people we plan to offer it to, we will not be injecting it into anyone's arm," he said.
Graham says the priorities for vaccines will go to healthcare workers and residents of skilled nursing care facilities at first with plans for other populations to follow soon after.
"The first allocation of vaccine we receive will not be available to the general public. Please do not arrive at our facilities asking for it. As soon as we can, we will make it available to the public, we will do so. And we are as eager for that day as you are," said Graham.
On Tuesday, Allegheny County added nearly 693 new COVID-19 cases and statewide the total grew by 10,170 for the day.
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