Myrtue sets up COVID-19 isolation wing

    HARLAN – COVID-19 hospitalizations at Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan as well as in the Omaha metro area are increasing to the point where medical officials are asking local residents to take public health guidelines seriously, to mitigate the risk of full hospitals and unavailable patient beds.
    While Myrtue Medical currently has an average daily census of 10-15 patients in its critical access, 25-bed hospital, half of those this week are COVID-19 related, being isolated in one wing of the hospital that has nine beds dedicated to the treatment of COVID positive patients.
    Hospitals in the Des Moines and Omaha metro areas are seeing higher numbers, the effect of which eventually will trickle down to rural hospitals like Myrtue Medical, officials say.