The highly contagious Delta variant is causing an uptick in COVID-19 hospitalizations in Colorado, and on Wednesday, the state reactivated crisis standards of care for hospitals.
This allows hospitals in Colorado to prioritize staff for emergencies and have the flexibility to move workers to different units. State officials stressed that this does not mean patients won't get acute emergency treatment, and people should still go to the hospital if they need medical treatment. Because of the surge in cases, more than a third of hospitals reporting to the state said in the next week, they expect to have a shortage of intensive care unit beds, and about 40 percent will be short-staffed, 9 News reports.
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