The concurrent resurgence of COVID-19 in almost 40% of the states of the United States, is pushing some of those states up to the boundary condition of availability of hospital beds, ventilators, and other supplies required to fight the coronavirus.
A few states show the case:
In Montgomery, Alabama, coronavirus cases have risen over 500% since the start of May. The June 9 issue of Forbes magazine reports that just two formal ICU beds were available June 9 at Montgomery’s major hospitals. Some patients had to seek treatment nearly 90 miles north in Birmingham.
Since Arizona lifted its stay-at-home order on May 15, the number of COVID-19 patients in that state on ventilators has increased by 400% according to Banner Health, Arizona’s largest medical network. As of June 8, 76% of the state’s ICU beds were occupied. The state’s health director instructed the state’s hospitals on June 6, “to fully activate their emergency plans,” meaning they should increase ICU capacity by 50%, suspend once more all elective surgeries, and add medical volunteers to their staff.
