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With the island now in the third wave of the novel coronavirus infections the health and wellness ministry yesterday revealed that all major public hospitals are overcapacity with COVID-19 patients.At the same time, local oxygen supplier IGL has indicated that it is able to provide enough of the life-saving product if demand rises to the level seen earlier this year when hospitalisations increased during the second wave of the virus.Noting that he had not yet received a full estimate of demand for oxygen from the health ministry, IGL Managing Director Peter Graham said, with the information he has from hospitals, he can say that "based on the peak hospitalisation level in March, which was 477 persons, we are better prepared if we get to those levels again".Graham explained that IGL had, in 2018, started laying the foundation to put itself in a much better position to meet demand by making significant investments in its production capacity.That started with a medical oxygen-producing plant at the company's headquarters at Ferry, St Catherine. The plant, he explained, produces about 13 tonnes of oxygen daily."At that time it was to eliminate or reduce significantly imports," he said."Since the last week in March this year we did a number of things to better prepare for a potential third wave," he added.The company has also:•upgraded the medical oxygen system at Falmouth Hospital with the installation of a bulk liquid oxygen tank providing up to six weeks' supply;• increased the utilisation of bulk oxygen storage at Annotto Bay, Port Antonio, and St Ann's Bay hospitals;• installed a bulk gaseous medical oxygen storage system at Annotto Bay Hospital that increases on-site storage to three to four weeks of demand;• increased bulk gaseous medical oxygen storage system at Percy Junor Hospital providing two times the previous capacity of two weeks' demand;• increased bulk gaseous medical oxygen storage system at National Chest Hospital by 70 per cent;• upgraded the liquid oxygen tank storage system at Savanna-la-Mar Hospital to accommodate high-flow oxygen equipment; and"At this point in time we are running close to US$400,000 on additional investments during that period," Graham told the Jamaica Observer.His assurance came days before the health ministry yesterday reported that Jamaica recorded 379 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday and three virus-related deaths.This pushed the total number of confirmed cases on the island since the outbreak last year March to 54,859 and the confirmed deaths to 1,222.The new cases, the ministry said, comprise 232 females and 147 males with ages ranging from four months to 91 years.According to the ministry, 69 of the cases were recorded in Kingston and St Andrew, 63 in St Catherine, 55 in St Ann, 51 in Westmoreland, 43 in St James, 36 in Manchester, 30 in Hanover, 10 in St Mary, seven in Clarendon, six in Trelawny, five in St Thomas, three in Portland, and one in St Elizabeth.A 62-year-old female, a 69-year-old male, and a 30-year-old female, all from St Ann, were the latest deaths reported. Two more deaths are under investigation.The ministry further reported 39 new recoveries, which pushed the total recoveries to 47,231. There are 6,037 active cases on the island.Yesterday, as well, the ministry said that islandwide vaccinations will resume today, while leave entitlements for at least some health staff may be deferred."Hospitals across the island are seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases. In anticipation of further increases in bed occupancy, the regional health authorities have been advised to review and revise leave rosters to ensure that there is adequate staff coverage," the ministry quoted Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton in a news release."This measure, together with the resumption of vaccinations, is being implemented as the ministry activates its surge plan to cope with the third wave of COVID-19 now impacting the island," he added."Our hospitals are under severe constraints and this is likely to have implications for elective or non-emergency procedures. The public will be updated in the days to come," Tufton said.