Rural hospital sounds alarm on rising hospitalizations, nearing capacity

I'm alan van zandt.

We come on the air tonight as record-high numbers of new coronavirus cases are being reported in missouri.

Months ago when we were concerned about 600 new cases in a day, just last saturday, there were more than six thousand reported in a 24 hour period.

And where most of the cases were once coming from missouri's larger communities, the virus has now spread to all corners of the state -- smaller, rural hospitals are now running short on bed space.

Here's kq2's kilee thomas.

Sot: steve schieber, ceo of hedrick medical center- "i don't want to create false alarms for people, but we are at a point where we are concerned about being so overwhelmed that we cannot provide the care we want for our patients."missouri's rural hospitals on the brink of capacity- as number of covid patients rise.

And now, they're speaking out.

Sot: schieber- "if we don't step up in rural america and be prepared to address this challenge and take the necessary precautions, i think we're really going to have a rampant outbreak in our communities."

Tuesday- ceo of chillicothe's area hospital- hedrick medical centertaking to facebook.

Pleading with rural missourians to take the virus seriousbecause if they don't-and they get covid-a bed might not be there waiting for them.

Sot: schieber- "we can only care for so many cause at the end of the day our facility is only so big.

We do not want to get to that point."

Rural hospitals often transfer critical patients to urban hospitals -but those larger hospitals reaching their tipping pointsot: schieber- "if we're full and those metropolitan facilities are full we are really in a stressful situation.

Healthcare professionals always rise to the occasion, but i don't think people can underestimate the crisis we could be in if we don't take steps to help prevent that each in our daily lives."

Those steps?

Socially distancing and wearing a mask.

Sot: schieber- "it is definitely scientifically proven to be helpful.

So, we are working with our county health departments to get mask mandates in place."

Schieber hopes the community directly-them up sot: schieber- this together and that's one of the things i love about focus on community and being together.

I think this is an opportunity to do that."

Reporting in st.

Joseph, kilee news as of the last update on tuesday- livingston county with 655 total cases since the start of the pandemic.

70 current active cases and 15 hospitalizations.

The county has