Local hospitals see cases tick up, await vaccine approval 

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More than 550 people are  hospitalized in the Rochester area with COVID-19 across the region's two major hospital systems. Across the Finger Lakes region, nearly 600 people are hospitalized.

There are three times as many COVID-19 patients at Rochester Regional Health hospitals than there were at the peak of the last surge, according to Chief Medical Officer Robert Mayo at Rochester Regional Health.

The University of Rochester Medical Center, as well, continues to see more COVID-19 patients at their hospitals each week. Michael Apostolakos, URMC's chief medical officer, said they are expecting a continued surge during the holiday season.

“A holiday season that is virtual will be life-saving. Will bend the curve. And I just get emotional when I think about people who will not be here next year because of decisions being made now,” Apostolakos said.

If the community is able to flatten the curve, that would mean that people who are sick with the virus will be better able to get the care they need both now and in the future, he said.

“My heart goes out for people who are suffering from COVID-19 now and possibly spreading it to others who may not have other holidays,” he said.

Both medical systems are preparing for the possibility that the FDA will soon approve the new Pfizer vaccine. That includes administering vaccines to healthcare workers initially; it also means providing education to the public.

“I am aware of efforts in the community also to reach out to the Black and brown communities and address their valid and unique concerns about vaccination,” said Mayo. “It’s really important that all sectors of the community get the answers they need to feel comfortable moving forward.”

On Wednesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he expects a state panel to approve the vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna as early as Friday. The first 170,000 doses of the vaccine could arrive in New York this weekend, he said.

Noelle E.C. Evans is a reporter for WXXI News, a media partner of CITY.