Spectrum Health Lakeland – COVID 19 Updates

Business leaders send letter to community The number of COVID-19 cases in our community, as well as hospital admissions at Spectrum Health Lakeland, continue to rise at an alarming rate. Testing and other supplies are beginning to dwindle nationwide. Our health care system is working diligently to keep staff members healthy. The window of time for assisting our health care heroes within their capacity is growing smaller by the day. Staying safe will help our hospitals maintain manageable capacity during the surge. Read the full letter here. Planning for safe COVID-19 holidays Medical experts are urging people to make different plans for the holidays. Topping the CDC’s list of high-risk activities include gathering in groups outside of your immediate household, shopping in crowded stores, and participating or attending sporting events or crowded parades. Lower risk activities include contactless food delivery, virtual gatherings or only meeting with those in your household, online shopping, and watching sports and parades from home. Learn more. New COVID-19 testing criteria Across the country, and here in Southwest Michigan, COVID-19 testing supplies remain limited. New COVID-19 testing criteria at Lakeland has been put in place to prioritize patients with one major symptom (fever, cough, shortness of breath) or two minor symptoms (loss of taste/smell, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea). Click here for more information on how to obtain a test. Self-scheduling for COVID-19 testing is now available through your Lakeland MyChart account. A doctor’s order is still required prior to scheduling. Walk-in clinics remains open We want to urge people to get emergency care if they experience any life-threatening symptoms or injuries; don’t delay care that can save your life. Spectrum Health Lakeland emergency departments and walk-in clinics remain open should you need emergent care. Don’t miss the signs and symptoms of a stroke or heart attack. COVID-19 latest updates Did you miss our latest COVID-19 update? View the video below and to tune in to our next Facebook live update on Friday, November 20, 2020 at 3 p.m.