Gov. Baker: Mass. Hospitals To Curtail Some Elective Procedures Amid Spike

Governor Charlie Baker announced Massachusetts hospitals will curtail some elective procedures beginning this week in an effort to open hospital beds as the state is currently seeing a "rapid increase" of COVID-19 cases since Thanksgiving.

“Effective Friday, hospitals will curtail elective procedures that can be safely postponed,” Baker said during a news conference at the State House on Monday (December 7) via WHDH. “This action will free up necessary staffing and beds…We can’t afford to continue straining the hospital system at this rate.”

The curtailment will be limited to elective procedures that are considered inpatient treatments and procedures that impact inpatient capacity, but outpatient procedures, including mammograms, colonoscopies and pediatric services, will remain open to the public, Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders confirmed via WHDH.

The Massachusetts Health Department announced more than 1,400 COVID-19 patients were currently hospitalized, including 238 that were in the ICU, on Sunday, WHDH reports. Gov. Baker said the number of new COVID-19 cases "took off like a rocket" in the days following Thanksgiving weekend.

“We now have a hospital community that’s really struggling,” Baker said via WHDH.

Gov. Baker once again urged Massachusetts residents to stop attending large gatherings that include non-household members in an effort to combat the spike in cases. The governor also announced a number of new winterized test sites will open in across the state in response to the growing demand for COVID-19 tests, with three free testing sites in Framingham, New Bedford and Lynn each averaging more than 1,000 tests distributed daily.

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