SISOLAK OVERSTATED CV19 ICU OCCUPANCY RATE BY 240%

Sept. 11, 2020

Rob Lauer Political Reporter

On August 26, 2020, Governor Sisolak’s COVID-19 response leadership staff issued a report consisting of a 7 day moving average of supposedly CV19 hospitalizations, ventilators and ICU rates for Nevada. https://pvtimes.com/news/state-leaders-give-covid-19-update-88613/

COVID-19 Response Director, Caleb Cage, and Deputy Administrator of Community Health Services, Julia Peek, reported “intensive care unit occupancy is 63%”

Today, the I Team obtained a statement from a UMC spokesman regarding the hospital’s occupancy status:

“Our ICU team members are currently caring for 23 COVID-19 patients. COVID-19 patients represent 26 percent of our overall ICU population. UMC’s overall ICU occupancy currently stands at slightly above 80 percent, representing a significant decrease from the peak of the pandemic.”

Clearly, the Governor’s staff conflated the total number of occupied ICU beds and the total number of CV19 occupied ICU beds. The question is why? Even more troubling is that Nevada Hospitals have refused to provide ongoing CV19 occupancy numbers throughout the pandemic. According to the I team, this was the first time they accidentally released the information.

UMC’s report of 26% did not differentiate between folks in an ICU because of CV19 exclusively or because of underlying conditions and they also have CV19. Remember the Federal Government is paying out $98,000 for every CV19 case in Nevada.