The rise in COVID-19 cases despite the availability of vaccines has left many hospitals across the country stressed, and Athens-Limestone Hospital is no exception.

ALH officials released a statement this week urging residents to get their vaccination and take precautions against further spread of the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Since July 1, the hospital has seen 44 COVID-positive patients ranging from 24 to 91 years of age.

On Thursday, hospitalizations were down to 12, and officials said it’s pretty clear the vaccines are making a difference overall. Of the six men and six women currently in the hospital, 80% were unvaccinated. Since July 1, 73% of the hospitalized patients have been unvaccinated, according to ALH data.

In an open letter to the community, ALH officials said the hospitalizations are increasing “at an unprecedented rate,” affecting other departments within the hospital.

“Due to the increasing number of COVID patients presenting to our hospital and other facilities in our system, emergency department times have increased. Inpatient beds for people have serious medical conditions such as heart attacks and strokes are becoming more and more scarce due to an alarmingly high rate of unvaccinated patients requiring beds,” the letter reads.

The letter is signed by the following ALH administrators: President Traci Collins, Medical Staff President Jon Bignault, Medical Staff Vice President Matthew Hanserd, Medical Staff Secretary Crystal Walker, former Medical Staff President Paul Fry and Board Chairman Camilla Gaston.

The group thanked health care workers for their work to save lives during the initial surge and called on the community to do the same by doing “what is necessary to prevent hospitalizations and COVID-19 spread.”

“Just as COVID-19 had changed with the delta variant, the present dominant strain, we must also change our behaviors if we are to return to the lifestyle that has made Athens and Limestone County such a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family,” the letter reads. “We have the means to defeat COVID-19 — we now need to step forward as a community to see this through.”

Thursday’s numbers

According to data from the Alabama Department of Public Health, there is no county in the state that isn’t seeing a high level of community transmission of COVID-19. In Limestone County, the seven-day average positive test rate has risen to 22.9%, and the county is nearing 4,000 new cases in 2021.

Meanwhile, 66 Limestone Countians have died from the disease this year, bringing the overall total to 164 since ADPH began reporting data in March 2020. Limestone County has seen a total of 11,298 cases during the pandemic as of Thursday.

Statewide data shows cases in every age group, from 0–4 years old to 75 and older, over the last four weeks. However, deaths are still primarily reported among the elderly, with those 75 or older making up 33% of COVID-related deaths despite only making up 7.1% of the state’s population.

Those interested in receiving their vaccine are encouraged to visit vaccines.gov to find a provider in their area.