For the fourth consecutive week, The Medical Center at Bowling Green, TriStar Greenview Regional Hospital and Glasgow’s T.J. Samson Community Hospital reported increases in COVID-19 patients.

Med Center Health Executive Vice President Wade Stone told the Daily News the hospital was still at full capacity Friday. The hospital is now caring for 78 COVID-19 patients after it reported 65 such inpatients Aug. 27.

Of those 78 individuals, he said 74% are unvaccinated, 21 are in critical care and 14 are on a ventilator. Of the 21 in critical care, 67% were unvaccinated.

T.J. Regional Executive Vice President of Marketing Stacey Biggs said the Glasgow hospital now has 38 patients with COVID-19. That number was at 36 on Aug. 27 and rose into the lower 40s earlier last week.

Of those 38, Biggs said only two are vaccinated, 11 are in the ICU and seven are on a ventilator. All individuals in the ICU or on a ventilator are unvaccinated.

Biggs said the hospital is operating at “incredibly high” capacity.

TriStar Greenview Regional did not provide its number of COVID-19 patients again, but Marketing Manager Michael Ferguson said the statement from Aug. 27 remains accurate. The hospital is still seeing an increase in COVID-19 patients, with the “vast majority” being unvaccinated.

All Med Center Health employees were required to receive their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine by Sept. 1.

A Med Center Health statement on Friday said 180 staff employees throughout the Med Center Health system had been terminated due to the vaccine requirement.

However, at the same time, 178 new, vaccinated team members have or will be joining Med Center Health within the next week.

“Med Center Health stands by our decision requiring staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19,” the statement said. “We remain focused on the health and safety of our patients, staff and community.

“Since our vaccine requirements were announced in late July, approximately 1,000 Med Center Health staff members have chosen to be vaccinated, raising our number of vaccinated staff to over 3,500. Med Center Health has now reached 100% compliance with our COVID-19 vaccine requirements.”

The Medical Center also received assistance from 30 members of the National Guard after Stone previously said there were staffing issues amid the latest surge.

“Our Med Center Health team that we have taking care of patients is absolutely committed to caring for our patients and providing the best care possible,” he said. “We are very thankful for the 30 National Guard staff who are helping us in non-clerical roles.”

Biggs also said T.J. Regional was having staffing issues with 41 employees being quarantined due to having COVID-19 or having close contact with a positive case.

“Health care workers are resilient and they have servant hearts. It just gets harder. How long will we be able to operate at this incredibly high capacity?” Biggs said. “We will not turn anyone away. People have stepped up, and they have been amazing. They are taking great care of their patients.”

She said the staff continues to work to “the largest extent possible” to increase their capacity by adding beds wherever they can.

Biggs said T.J. Regional saw a 23.6% positivity rate out of all tests given. She said that’s “by far” the highest it has seen. In comparison, the positivity rate at the hospital in mid-June was at 0%.

“The numbers are what they are,” she said. “They are not political, and they are not meant to cause drama.”

The latest update from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Human Services on Friday said all but three counties in the state (Woodford, Trigg, Carlisle) were marked red for having a “critical” COVID-19 incidence rate.

Out of the 10 counties in the Barren River region, five had a vaccination rate of at least 40% (Warren, Simpson, Logan, Barren and Butler). None of the region’s counties have a vaccination rate of at least 50%.