State officials haven’t sounded a red alert but are keeping a close eye on pressure that the COVID pandemic is putting on Minnesota hospital beds. Governor Tim Walz says even with plans already in place that could almost double I-C-U capacity, there’s still a problem:
“Because COVID is so widespread and because it’s hitting staff, the staffing issue is equally as important as the beds, because an empty I-C-U room with all of the proper equipment and no critical-care nurse doesn’t do us much good.”
Walz is urging Minnesotans to redouble their efforts to control the spread of COVID — masking, social distancing and limiting the size of gatherings. A new set of regulations affecting bars and restaurants takes effect Friday night.
And does the pinch for hospital beds mean patients will have to go further for care? State Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm says, “We would love to keep people as close to home as possible, but the bed situation is getting tight enough that indeed we are seeing patients have to move to more distant locations to get the right level of care that they need.”
Malcolm says the state has “critical care coordinating centers” that are balancing the load on hospital beds. But state officials are still concerned because COVID has sidelined significant numbers of health care workers.