Utah Gov. Spencer Cox speaks at a news conference Tuesday. He said the state is at its “breaking point” in hospitalizations, as COVID-19 cases continue to rise. (Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Gov. Spencer Cox warned Tuesday that the state is at its “breaking point” in hospitalizations, leaving a critical patient over the weekend in a rural hospital with no place to go. treatment they needed.
Currently, the state has fewer health workers in the system, which means previously available beds are no longer staffed, Cox said.
And over the past three weeks, the number of hospitalizations has continued to rise along with the number of COVID-19 cases.
On Friday evening, a rural hospital had to transfer a critical patient to a hospital with the capacity to treat more serious patients. Cox claimed that the rural hospital was denied the transfer due to the shortage of several hospitals.
“For the first time since the pandemic began, there were zero ICU beds in Utah referral hospitals at the time,” he said.
Eventually, a bed was opened at a city hospital, but the opening only lasted a few hours. This situation will be “increasingly common” as hospitalizations increase, Cox said.
The governor said he will meet with the entire legislature to discuss efforts to move forward. He said he has already met regularly with the legislative leadership in the last two weeks, but the leadership cannot make decisions without the plenary and the Senate.
The 2021 legislature passed a law that defines who can make public health orders, leaving the power to order health measures beyond 30 days in the hands of county councils and commissions.
The legislature has “the ability to overturn anything we do and anything that happens after 30 days has to be passed by the legislature and then by the whole legislature. It has been very difficult. It was easier in January, February and March to have regular discussions with the legislature while they were in session, “Cox said.
Lawmakers have not celebrated their usual interim period over the summer. Cox said he will meet with the legislature through his meetings in both the House and Senate, “in which we will present all the data to them.”
“And then we hope to be able to find some consensus on new measures as we move forward,” Cox said, promising additional updates over the next few days.
While the rise in hospitalizations is worrying state leaders, Cox said there is good news.
“If there’s any good news in the last three and a half weeks, it’s that we’ve seen more and more people vaccinated,” he said.
He urged people who have not been vaccinated to do so.
In a message to health workers, Cox said, “We are grateful. For your sacrifice and your service, and I am sorry that this is happening again. My heart is broken for you, for the difficulties you are encountering. , for the long nights and despair, as you continue to have the best and most professional care anywhere in the word, and especially the people who did not take the opportunity to protect themselves and how difficult it is for you. “
Watch Cox’s press conference here.
This story will be updated.