Baltimore County Hospitals Almost Full Due To COVID-19, Shortages

TOWSON, MD — Health leaders and elected officials joined to "sound the alarm" about rising hospitalizations in Baltimore County Monday. The county's health leader told people to avoid crowds.

"Please avoid large gatherings," Baltimore County Health Director Gregory Wm. Branch said Monday afternoon. "Intimate gatherings amongst our family and friends who are vaccinated and boosted is much, much safer."

Hospitals are understaffed across the county, according to leaders, as the contagious omicron variant of COVID-19 spreads.

"Alarmingly, there are only 14 staffed ICU beds currently available in Baltimore County" hospitals, County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. said at the news conference Monday.

"With the holiday season underway, and with so many people expected to gather in the coming weeks," Olszewski said, "health care leaders continue to tell me that they are gravely concerned about what January will look like."

About 600,000 residents, or 73 percent of the population, have been vaccinated, Olszewski said. Not every resident who could get a booster shot had done so, he said.

"The best way to protect our loved ones and to fight the spread of this variant is to wear a mask, get vaccinated and get boosted, because being vaccinated without a booster may no longer be enough," Olszewski said. "Think about it this way during the holiday season. If you're not boosted, you're not vaccinated. And if you're not vaccinated, you continue to put your life in jeopardy."

Leaders from health care systems across Baltimore County urged people to get vaccinated and booster shots and to avoid emergency rooms if they could get treatment elsewhere.

People who want to get vaccinated against COVID-19 can check the Baltimore County coronavirus page for locations about centers. There is also a COVID-19 vaccine locator from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Those looking to get tested or vaccinated can also call the Baltimore County COVID-19 Hotline at 410-887-3816 for more information.

This is a developing story and will be updated.