Berlin, New Hampshire issued the following announcement on October 13.
Forwarding on behalf of the Berlin Emergency Management COVID Task Force:
With the current situation in the community, our COVID Emergency Management Task Force wanted to reach out to everyone with a few updates and reminders.
As you likely have heard, Berlin and Gorham are experiencing extremely high levels of community transmission, the larger problem is that this is overwhelming Androscoggin Valley Hospital, Coos County Family Health Services, and the local Emergency Medical Services.
To put this in perspective, this is the worst we have seen since the pandemic started 18 months ago.
An update on Monday's local conference call regarding the status at AVH:
1. 11 patients currently in the hospital due to COVID.
2. 3 of them are in the Intensive Care Unit.
3. 2 of them are on ventilators.
4. AVH is working to transfer any non-Covid emergency patients to other hospitals for care, but beds are scarce across the State.
The situation at AVH is being described as life or death at this time. AVH and CCFHS are experiencing staffing shortages, covid positive employees, and systems which are being stressed to the max.
The good news is you and your fellow employees can do something to make a difference:
1. Stay home from work if you have any symptoms and get tested.
2. Wear a mask indoors in public settings.
3. Avoid large groups, especially indoors.
4. Get vaccinated, Covid-19 and the flu shot.
We have all been down this road before, but this time the situation at AVH is dire, Please help do your part to get us through this. The consensus is that we likely have at least 2 weeks more during which it will only get worse.
Stay Safe and Healthy,
Berlin Emergency Management COVID Task Force
Jay Watkins, Fire Chief, EMD
Pete Morency, Police Chief BPD
Dan Buteau, Deputy Chief BPD
Jennifer Cloutier, Communications Manager BPD
Pamela Laflamme, Community Development Director
Jim Wheeler, City Manager
Original source can be found here.
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