Hospitals throughout Colorado are experiencing a record low amount of available ICU beds, with fewer than 200 spaces open for patients as of Friday, September 10.

In Larimer County alone last week, intensive care utilization fluctuated between 100% and 110%, according to The Coloradoan.

Due to the increase in hospitalizations health officials are being put into crisis mode and smaller non-emergent clinics around the state are being forced to close, so that staff is able to assist at overstretched offices. As a result, many elective surgeries are also being put on the back burner during this time. According to the Denver Post, hospitals have also started to convert rooms in order to serve more ICU patients.

Virus-related hospitalizations have been increasing across the state. As of September 10, there were more than 900 individuals being treated for COVID-19 in Colorado hospitals. Governor Jared Polis noted that a majority of Coloradans in the hospital for COVID-19 have not been vaccinated. The only time COVID-19 hospitalizations were higher, was last winter during the peak of the pandemic.

Last week, Colorado had a reported total of 632,699 positive COVID cases.

The number of overall hospitalizations is also surging, now at the second-highest intake amount since the pandemic started in the spring of 2020. Not only is a wave of COVID-19 causing an uptick in hospitalizations, but because many people are returning back to their normal activities that can result in trauma, more individuals are winding up in the ICU. In addition, many people are opting to go through with surgeries that they postponed during the height of the pandemic.

Governor Polis and other state leaders are urging Coloradans to get vaccinated for the health and safety of themselves and others.

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