50 hospitals across the state have formally requested state help in getting additional health care workers to deal with the huge influx of patients coming in during the Delta surge. State Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter said these hospitals have told the state that they can no longer adequately provide care in their facilities due to the crush of COVID patients that are being admitted.
“We are doing the best that we can to meet those needs but there is not a magic supply of respiratory therapists and nurses waiting to come here,” said Kanter.
Roughly 1% of the state’s population has been infected in the last two weeks and the number of COVID-related hospitalizations spiked faster than it ever has before, now sitting at a record high above 2,400.
While facilities have not yet had to begin rationing care, Kanter requested that if you are only suffering minor symptoms or just need a COVID test don’t go to an emergency room.
“Emergency departments are very busy, wait times are long, and hospitals are having to triage patients in the emergency department to the best of their ability,” said Kanter.
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