Cases rising, ICU bed capacity tight in Kings County

KINGS COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Kings County continues to see an upward trend in active cases of the novel coronavirus.

It ranks third among all Valley counties for total confirmed cases.

According to statistics from the state department of public health, Kings County has the lowest percentage of ICU bed capacity in the Valley - just 5.6% as of Friday.

Statewide, only Napa County had a smaller percentage of beds available.

Officials at Adventist Health Hanford say they have 22 total ICU beds, but explained that the number of staffed beds changes daily, so it's unclear how many ICU beds are open at the hospital.

Officials did confirm they have sent some patients to the state alternate care site in Porterville, but couldn't say how many because of patient privacy.

Even though she doesn't know anyone who has the virus, longtime Hanford resident Sandi Beal said she takes the pandemic seriously, always wearing a mask and limiting who she sees and where she goes.

"Well I definitely stay home," Beal said. "The friends I do go out with I've been around this whole time. I have a daughter that lives in town and grandchildren, I am around them."

Like Kaweah Delta in Visalia, Adventist Health Hanford will be getting some help from a team of military healthcare workers within the next week.