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Doctors urge small gatherings, vaccinations for Thanksgiving holiday

Posted at 7:23 AM, Nov 17, 2021
and last updated 2021-11-17 07:23:37-05

DETROIT (WXYZ) — The Henry Ford Health System is seeing a surge in patients testing positive with COVID-19, with the majority of those individuals being unvaccinated, according to Bob Riney, President of Healthcare Operations and Chief Operating Officer.

Currently, Henry Ford has 330 COVID-19 patients across their five hospitals, with more in their emergency department waiting for a bed.

"I know that all of us had hoped that we'd be in a better, very different place as we approach this coming Thanksgiving season but we really are not," Riney told reporters during a Zoom press conference Friday.

At the same press conference, Henry Ford's Dr. Adnan Munkarah urged people to get vaccinated and avoid large gatherings this holiday.

Click on the video to hear from Dr. Munkarah and Riney on their concerns for rising infection numbers.