COVINGTON, Ga. — Two out of three patients now hospitalized in Piedmont Newton Hospital are COVID-19 patients, a top hospital official said.

The number of COVID patients now has exceeded by 20% the number the hospital typically saw during the last surge in January, said hospital chief medical officer Dr. Norris Little. 

It was seeing about one COVID patient per day in June before the fast-spreading Delta variant of the disease took hold about four weeks ago, Little said. 

“It’s a very significant number of people in the community who are ill,” he said.

As a result, the 103-bed hospital in Covington has been forced to add extra beds on hospital floors and in the intensive care unit, Little said.

Newton County has seen an increase in its seven-day average of new cases from 39 on Aug. 13 to 64 on Aug. 29, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.

Little said the surge also is placing a strain on staff members as they work to care for the increased volume of COVID patients — in addition to other patients.

”It really puts a lot of pressure on health care systems to be able to provide the staff support to do that work,” Little said. “We’re getting it done but it becomes a lot of long days for people, a lot of extra shifts for our workers.”

Piedmont Newton has seen a “workforce decline throughout the entire pandemic” — though at lower levels than other parts of the multi-hospital Piedmont Healthcare system, he said without offering specific numbers. 

Factors in the decline have included everything from staff members wanting “to take a break,” to increased competition for nurses and other medical staff throughout the Southeast. 

“Florida, for example, hit the surge early and they were offering premium compensation for people to come work down there,” Little said.

He said medical staff members also are experiencing the emotional burden of seeing some of the patients die from the disease.

However, the hospital has “a great workforce.” Most live in Newton County and the immediate area, Little said.

“They’ve been very supportive through this, but even people who are very supportive can wear out,” he said.

“We’re trying to give them all the help and support that we can.”

He said about 96% of the patients seeking treatment for COVID-19 in the ICU and on patient floors are unvaccinated. Newton County only had about a 41% vaccination rate compared to more than 50% statewide last week.

“This is a pandemic of the unvaccinated patient population,” Little said.

He added that hospital officials see the need for vaccinations as a public health issue, not a political issue.

“We don’t have an agenda except for the health of the community,” Little said.

In previous surges, most patients coming to the Covington hospital with severe COVID-19 were chronically ill seniors. 

The current surge is leading many patients in their 30s and 40s to seek treatment as well, he said.

“The Delta variant is just a highly contagious variant,” he said. “It has spread much more rapidly.”