i just learned that one of the residents in my apartment building has c19

[Drunken Irishman]

9. Not if the hospital is close to capacity.

It's also possible this person took an ambulance because they had no other way to the hospital. if you're having breathing problems, and a car, or a spouse who can drive you, yeah, you might opt to do that. But no car? No one to drive you to the hospital (especially if you suspect you're positive with COVID, who'd want to put another person at risk?), and the ambulance is your only ride there.

Then if you get to the hospital, and they find that you're not critical, they may just give you oxygen and send you home, saying if it progressively worsens, come back.

Sucks that's the reality we're in but hospitals are not going to admit people that aren't close to death like they may have done a year ago.