CLEVELAND — Despite decreasing COVID-19 hospitalizations in the region, the Cleveland Clinic said it needs to postpone all nonessential surgeries requiring a hospital bed through Jan. 30.

What You Need To Know

  • The Cleveland Clinic said that nonessential surgeries requiring a hospital bed will be postponed through Jan. 30

  • Essential and urgent surgeries will continue to be scheduled

  • The region reached a peak of 1,754 COVID-19 hospitalizations on Jan. 5, according to the Ohio Hospital Association

  • Since Jan. 5, COVID hospitalizations have dropped 11% in northeast Ohio

The postponement also extends to all nonessential outpatient/ambulatory surgeries. The postponement does not include its ambulatory surgery centers or ambulatory endoscopy centers.

Essential, urgent or emergent surgeries or those in need of surgery for cancer or transplant, will continue to be scheduled during this period, the Cleveland Clinic said. 

The pause in nonessential surgeries requiring a hospital bed began last month as COVID-19 cases spiked in northeast Ohio. The Ohio Hospital Association reported 450 COVID-19 hospitalizations in the northeast Ohio region on Nov. 1. By Jan. 5, that number jumped to 1,754. 

But in the week since, hospitalizations in the region have dropped 11%, the OHA reported. The region has also seen a 17% decline in the number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units. 

The Cleveland Clinic said Tuesday 75% of those hospitalized with COVID-19 are unvaccinated, with 87% of those with COVID-19 in the ICU being unvaccinated.

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