Hospitals close operating rooms 11.24.20

Monica Harkins takes us to UK Healthcare, where operating rooms are being shut down to prepare for a flood of new coronavirus patients.

Hospitals in lexington are expecting a flood of new covid-19 patients after the thanksgiving holiday.

To prepare... uk healthcare says it'll close five of its operating rooms. boxes:1x1 abc 36 studios lexington location three location four abc 36's monica harkins is live at u-k hospital...which says this is different than closures in the spring.

The biggest take away...elective surgeries will continue...and we continue to hear from doctors if you need care there is still room for non- covid-19 patients.

Uk says starting monday the 30th...it'll close five of its 32 operating room at uk chandler hospital.

If you are someone with a surgery coming up at chandler... you'll be notified about rescheduling.

Also, there are still operating rooms at uk good samaritan and the center for advanced surgery.

As for employees...the hospital says no one is being furloughed as for employees...the hospital says no one is being furloughed i talked to a mom who is here with her son on a non-covid-19 related emergency visit from morehead.

She says hearing the hospital is adapting to make more space is worrisome but says it's the appropriate response.

L3: abc 36 news white starla snow mom "i've come to realize that covid's gonna keep coming and there's nothing that we can do to stop it, so evolving around is all we can do.

I would rather them be in a sealed enviornment as an operating room just because it doesn't give as much exposure to the rest of the patient."

Uk healthcare says right now it has just over 70 patients on average each day...if there are more than 90 covid-patients in the next couple of weeks it says it'll consider closing more.

Live in lexington, monica harkins, abc 36 news.

### a lexington coffee