THURSDAY, Aug. 9, 2021 (HealthDay News)

COVID-19 hospitalizations in Florida reached a new high this week, the Florida Hospital Association (FHA) says.

Hospitalizations are 13% higher than the previous peak on July 23, 2020, and 60% of the state’s hospitals are expected to face a “critical staffing shortage” in the next seven days, the association said Tuesday, CNN reported.

Currently, there are 11,515 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, and 84% of in-patient beds and 86.5% of ICU beds in the state are occupied, according to the FHA.

It said that 21% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients are in the ICU and 13% are on ventilators, CNN reported.

The FHA figures are from a survey of hospitals that was completed Aug. 2 and represents 82% of the state’s acute care hospitals.

“Current hospitalizations and the growth rate continue to be extremely troubling,” Mary Mayhew, president and CEO of the Florida Hospital Association, said in a statement. “But vaccines work! The fact that less than 3% of current hospitalizations arrived from nursing homes and long-term care facilities shows the state’s focus on vaccinating and protecting Florida’s seniors and most vulnerable has worked.”

Just two states — Florida and Texas — accounted for one-third of all COVID-19 cases reported in the United States in the past week, White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said during a briefing Monday, CNN reported.

More information

Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more on COVID hospitalizations across the country.

SOURCE: CNN

Robert Preidt and Robin Foster

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