SALEM, Va. – Thursday marked a major milestone in the fight against COVID-19. This was the first day in two years LewisGale Medical Center reported no COVID-19 related hospitalizations.
“Today, everyone had so much hope for the future. And we are actually so surprised that we are finally at zero, very exciting,” she said.
Staff celebrated with sweet treats to mark this step towards normalcy. While no COVID-19 patients being hospitalized is something to celebrate, staff at the hospital are not letting their guards down.
“Definitely a sense of relief. Maybe mixed with a little bit of apprehension. There have just been so many ups and downs over the past two years it’s kind of hard to feel relaxed in some ways,” said the assistant chief nursing officer, Cindy Akers.
Health leaders say they hope this trend of no hospitalizations will continue to be the norm.