Nassau To Limit Ambulance Access As Coronavirus Cases Rise

NASSAU COUNTY, NY — As coronavirus cases continue to climb across the area, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran announced today that the county would be reinstating protocols it used at the height of the pandemic to limit who can take an ambulance.

The pandemic triage protocols, as they are known, are designed to keep ambulances available for emergencies as coronavirus cases soar. Those who are calling for an ambulance to take them to a hospital because of the coronavirus will be screened. If they have only mild symptoms, they will not be able to take the ambulance.

"If there are mild symptoms and someone can convalesce at home, it makes more sense to keep them there," Curran said. "We want to protect our hospital capacity."

Those with severe coronavirus symptoms will still be able to be transported by ambulance, as will people with non-coronavirus emergencies.

Curran said that as cases rise, ambulances and EMS services are already seeing increased call volume. Paramedics were able to handle the increased calls in the spring at the height of the pandemic because of outside help that the county doesn't have anymore — ambulances from FEMA and out-of-state medical personnel. "They have their own crises in their own states," Curran said.

The coronavirus continues to rage across Nassau County. On Jan. 5, the most recent day for which data is available, the county recorded 1,733 new cases: the second-highest number since the pandemic began. January has already seen 6,652 confirmed cases and 44 deaths.

According to Curran, the county's positivity rate for Jan. 5 was 10 percent. There are currently 785 people in Nassau hospitals with the coronavirus, with 95 of them in the ICU and 64 on ventilators.

Vaccine distribution is increasing, though. Long Island has so far distributed about 50,000 vaccines to residents. At the county's first vaccine distribution center, 472 vaccines were given yesterday — beating the county's goal of 400 a day.

"We now have the final tool to defeat this virus," Curran said, "and Nassau County stands ready to do its part to ramp up distribution of the vaccine."