On Saturday, using the emergency alert system Austin has sounded an alarm over the Covid-19 situation. The alarm is sounded to let residents in the Texas capital city know that the local state of the pandemic is "dire."
The total population residing at Austin is nearly 2.4 million and according to the state health data, there are just six Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds and only 33 ventilators.
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Public Health Medical Director Desmar Walkes in an official statement, termed the situation ‘catastrophe’, and said, “The situation is critical.” “Our hospitals are severely stressed and there is little we can do to alleviate their burden with the surging cases,” he added.
“Hospital bed availability and critical care are extremely limited in our hospital systems,” Walkes said, adding, “rallying residents to help stave off disaster.”
The warning came just two days after when the city’s health department bumped up its risk level and staged it at 5 due to a contagious Delta variant. The health department has also urged people to stay at home, to wear a mask, and to follow all the Covid-19 related norms even if they are fully vaccinated.
As per the data released by the health department, the risk level raised after the new hospital admissions increased by 600 percent and patients on ICU beds jumped by 570 percent. While Covid patients on ventilators increased to 120, who was just eight on July 4.
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As per the data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg, the number of cases is increased nationwide. The new infection rate has reached equal to the winter surge witnessed six months ago and weekly cases passed the mark of 7,50,000, the most since early February.
Cases are increasing even if the US has ramped up the process of vaccination. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to U.S. President Joe Biden said, “It clearly has taken a very bad turn.”