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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – The COVID-19 resurgence in Texas has placed health systems in some cities in dire straits as intensive care beds fill up, officials say.
In Austin, the health department announced that only nine intensive care beds were available on Friday in the 11-county trauma service region that includes the city and serves 2.3 million people.
“We are running out of time and our church needs to act now,” said Dr. Desmar Walkes, Austin Medical Director / Health Authority. “Our ICU capacity is reaching a critical point where the risk has increased significantly for the entire community, not just those in need of treatment for COVID. If we do not come together as a community now, we are endangering the lives of loved ones who may need intensive care. “
In a joint statement, three hospital systems serving the Austin area – Ascension Seton, Baylor Scott & White, and St. David’s Healthcare – said the recent COVID-19 spike “is putting extraordinary pressure on our hospitals, emergency rooms and healthcare professionals” and it has further challenged the hospital staff due to a long-term lack of care. “
San Antonio is also facing a nursing staff shortage caused by an increase in coronavirus patients. City leaders had hoped the state would help fill the shortage, but in a letter sent Thursday to city and county leaders across Texas, the state instructed local governments to instead make their own plans to top up the shortage Hospital staff before seeking help from the state, the San Antonio Express-News reports.
The state previously hired recruiting companies to send traveling nurses, doctors and respiratory therapists to help hospitals cope with COVID-19 surges.
In San Antonio, Saturday’s COVID-19 hospital admissions rose 430% since early July, the newspaper reported.
“We have patients waiting in the lobby; we have patients in the hallway, ”said Tommye Austin, senior nursing director at University Health, one of the largest hospitals in San Antonio. “Every corner in this organization has a patient.”
There were 6,594 people in Texas hospitals with COVID-19 on Sunday, the most since February 24. State health officials reported 21 new COVID-19 deaths on Sunday. Texas has recorded 53,248 COVID-19 deaths since the pandemic began, the third most common in the US, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Despite the surge in hospital admissions and new cases, Republican Governor Greg Abbott has repeatedly stood by his orders to ban mask mandates at the federal, county and local levels.
As of Saturday, only 43.8% of the total Texas population was fully vaccinated. This fell short of the national rate of 49.5% and was way behind Vermont, which, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, had the highest rate of any state at 67.5%.
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