7 hour wait times reported at local emergency rooms as Georgia hospitals fill to capacity

HALL COUNTY, Ga. — The president of several north Georgia hospitals said there’s no way to sugarcoat it, our state is at a critical point in its fight against the pandemic.

Channel 2′s Tony Thomas was in Braselton Friday, where Northeast Georgia Hospital System CEO Carol Burrell released a video with a warning about what is happening behind hospital walls, and what lies ahead.

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Burrell warns of skyrocketing cases, few beds and long wait times.

“Patients are often getting sicker quicker than they have in past waves,” Burrell said. “If you need to be admitted to the hospital, we may need to place you in a bed in a hallway or a cot in a waiting area.”

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Burrell’s hospitals are treating 268 COVID-19 patients currently, and it’s not just northeast Georgia hospitals that are packed.

The state tracking system shows that nearly 91% of Georgia ICU beds are full, as are 76% of emergency room beds. More than 5,500 Georgia COVID-19 patients are hospitalized.

When Crystal Carter started feeling sick, she went to Emory Hillandale in DeKalb County.

“It was totally packed,” Carter said. “I was in the waiting room for over seven hours.”

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Burrell said she knows the surge will continue, and promises to help the community. But she said she hopes the community will also help itself.

“The vaccines are not perfect weapons, but they are the best weapons we have in this first fight against the virus,” Burrell said.

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