MARIETTA — The strain on hospital resources that prompted Gov. Mike DeWine to mobilize 1,050 members of the Ohio National Guard has not reached Washington County, but the Memorial Health System is preparing for a potential increase in patients.

The COVID-19 census at Marietta Memorial Hospital has remained around 29 recently, said Paige Smith, chief nurse executive for the Memorial Health System. There are four patients in intensive care and four on ventilators, she said Friday.

“I would probably say I feel like we’re stable right now,” Smith said. “We’re not seeing a huge drop, but we’re not seeing a big increase.”

In September and October, the hospital often had around 80 patients being treated for COVID-19 complications, she said.

More than 4,700 Ohioans were hospitalized because of COVID-19 Friday, according to a press release from DeWine’s office. That’s the highest number of people hospitalized with the virus in the state this year and is rapidly approaching an all-time high, the release said.

Smith said the biggest spike in cases appears to be in the northern part of the state, with some increase in central Ohio as well.

“Right now, we’re just waiting to see what the rest of December and January will bring,” she said. “This’ll be our fourth surge, if it happens. We’re able to be pretty nimble at adjusting our inpatient capacity.”

According to the release from the governor, approximately 150 of the mobilized Guard members are highly trained medical professionals who will help meet critical needs at hospitals and testing locations. The others will assist with patient transport, housekeeping and food service starting Monday.

The Ohio Department of Health is working with an Ohio health care staffing company to allow hospitals to bring in nurses and other providers from outside the state to fill needed positions and alleviate some of the pressure on staff members, the release said.

Most hospitals in the northern part of the state have suspended elective surgeries, something that is starting to happen in the central and southeastern areas, the release said.

Smith said Memorial has used contract travel nurses to help fill staffing needs and provide relief for employees. The health system is making plans to meet capacity needs should they increase and awaits additional details on DeWine’s announcement to see how it might benefit them.

The governor’s release said the best way to relieve the strain on health care providers is to stay up to date on COVID vaccinations.

“The hospitalizations are largely a result of the unvaccinated,” Smith said, noting 89 percent of the COVID-19 patients at Memorial are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated.

Across the river in Wood County, WVU Medicine Camden Clark Medical Center had 29 COVID-19 patients as well. A hospital spokesman said staffing levels remain consistent and adequate to care for patients.

Back in Ohio, the rate of new cases per 100,000 people rose to 783.2 for the period of Dec. 2-15. That’s up from 718.5 from Nov. 25 to Dec. 8.

But Washington County actually saw a decrease, with 190 new cases in the most recent period, compared to 233 in the previous span. For the county of 59,911 residents, that’s a rate per 100,000 of 317.1, second lowest among Ohio’s 88 counties.

Noble County is the third lowest (353.6) and also saw a drop in new cases, from 75 to 51. Athens County was one slot above after a slight increase in new cases, from 231 to 244.

Morgan County recorded 96 new cases, a rate of 661.7 per 100,000. That’s 66th in the state, down from 25th the week before. A drop in new cases from 127 to 96 accounts for the big swing in the county with a population of just 14,508.

Monroe County’s new cases increased from 81 to 94, pushing its rate from 593.2 (75th) to 688.4 (59th). The county has 13,654 inhabitants.

Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com.