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FROM STAFF REPORTS

On Wednesday, Ballad Health released new Covid-19 statistics for the 29 counties in which they provide service, showing a surge of patients causing a new record of hospitalizations due to the Omicron Variant of the Coronavirus.

The record tops previous highs seen during the Delta surge in September 2021, which saw 413 and 408 COVID-19 patients on Sept. 8 and Sept. 9, respectively.

Those region high case counts in September are a result of what Ballad Officials said were, “Fueled by people who are not vaccinated.”

Wednesday’s data showed a similar surge to the one in September, but set a new record for hospitalizations, showing 427 current patients in Ballad facilities, 74 patients in Intensive Care, and 51 patients on ventilators.

86% of those hospitalized in Ballad facilities are unvaccinated, meaning 369 patients have not received the vaccine, while 58 have.

However, Ballad Health data shows that discharge rates are steady.

Since Tuesday, Ballad reported 83 admissions, but 63 discharges in that one day span.

Locally, Carter County Schools has seen a jump in Covid-19 cases among the school system, as a number 21 students in the system with a confirmed case of the virus on Jan. 7 has jumped to 91 as of Wednesday. Additionally, there are 28 staff members who are currently Covid positive.

Elizabethton City Schools, as of Monday, currently has 87 students in the system who are Covid-19 positive, along with 27 faculty members across all schools.