Local healthcare leaders are pleading with the public to get vaccinated for COVID-19 amidst the surge in cases across the Thumb. Dr. John Brooks is the Chief Medical Officer at McLaren Port Huron Hospital. He says the hospital is currently operating at or near capacity but has not yet run out of beds and is still performing surgeries. Speaking to WPHM, Brooks says the majority of those needing hospital care right now are younger, non-vaccinated individuals. “Our 30, 40, and 50 year olds are definitely showing up (in the hospital),” said Brooks. “We’ve got lot of people in their fifties that are critically ill in the hospital… and in general they are non-vaccinated.” According to the St. Clair county Health Department, 85% percent of the county’s hospital beds are currently in use and 43% of those beds are occupied by COIVD-19 patients.
