(WSIL)---On Monday and SIH tested more than 1400 people for COVID-19.
Seventy patients were hospitalized as of Tuesday with COVID in Carbondale and Herrin.
As of Wednesday, ten SIH employees have resigned citing mandatory vaccinations as their reason for leaving.
Administrators said COVID is different this time around with hospitalizations.
Those hospitalized are younger and are averaging 9 day stays.
To help with staffing, SIH has begun pulling in those with critical care training to help cover shifts, even if they no longer work exclusively in critical care.
However, there is not enough staff to keep up with patients.
"And we really are still trying to be able to accept patients that need our tertiary care for our region. Because there just isn't really other places for them to go so we are still trying to accept patients when we can but we are still having to turn a significant amount of patients away,� said Chief Nursing Officer Jennifer Harre.
SIH currently has a total of 29 critical care beds, with 30 critical care patients.
Twenty-two of those patients are COVID related and all 22 are on ventilators.
Three of those patients are fully vaccinated and over 60 years old.
SIH CEO Rex Budde emphasized the importance of vaccination in order to keep those who do test positive for COVID out of the hospital.
He said getting vaccinated is a personal responsibility and a social responsibility.
