DEARBORN — The current COVID-19 surge is taking a huge toll on both Beaumont and Henry Ford Health Systems throughout Metro Detroit.

The surge in cases is the highest ever, with more than 12,000 cases reported per day on average.

Henry Ford Health Systems said it has had nearly 700 employees test positive in the last week, which is leading to severe shortages.

“In the last seven days, 686 team members have tested positive for COVID,” Dr. Adnan Munkarah said. “This is a three-fold increase since December. We had to temporarily close 97 beds in three of our hospitals, mostly due to staffing challenges.”

Beaumont also said that it is “at a breaking point” with a 40 percent increase in COVID patients in the past week and more than 430 employees out of work because of COVID symptoms.

“The omicron variant is one of the most contagious viruses we have seen in our lifetime,” Dr. Nick Gilpin, Beaumont Health’s medical director of infection prevention and epidemiology, said. “It’s more important than ever for the community to help contain the spread of this illness. Our health care systems are overwhelmed. If you have ignored our pleas for help before, now is the time to take action. We need everyone’s help to get through this fourth surge. Wear a mask. Get vaccinated. Get boosted.”

At Beaumont’s facilities, 62 percent of the hospitalized COVID patients are unvaccinated.

Beaumont leadership has requested each hospital strongly consider reducing elective surgical procedures, outpatient imaging and testing to dedicate more staff to hospitalized patients, including COVID patients, trauma, oncology and acute medical issues.

While the U.S Department of Defense medical team has been helping at Beaumont Dearborn for the last month, its time has been extended for another 30 days and more personnel will be coming in.