Only 6 ICU beds left in USA’s city of Austin as Covid-19 cases surge

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Austin, the capital of America’s state of Texas is running out of ICU beds as 50 patients with the dreaded Covid-19 infection are being admitted in hospitals every day due to the surge in the pandemic.</p>
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According to local media reports, the Austin area, which has a population of 2.3 million people, has merely six ICU beds left.</p>
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The state government on Saturday put its residents on emergency alert, informing them that the situation is critical.</p>
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Public Health Medical Director Desmar Walkes said in a statement,"Our hospitals are severely stressed and there is little we can do to alleviate their burden with the surging cases."</p>
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On July 30 the state government had said that the “ 7-day moving average had reached the critical point of 50 new admissions, taking the threshold the danger level of Stage 5, Austin Public Health (APH) is now urging the community to act as the situation becomes dire…To reiterate, 16 ICU beds for as many as 11 counties with over 2.3 million residents.”</p>
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“We are running out of time and our community must act now,” Dr. Walkes had said., “Our ICU capacity is reaching a critical point where the level of risk to the entire community has significantly increased, and not just to those who are needing treatment for COVID. If we fail to come together as a community now, we jeopardize the lives of loved ones who might need critical care.”</p>
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The state government had pointed out that only 63.12% of residents are fully vaccinated, leaving our community vulnerable to new variants of the disease, and contributing to a dramatic increase in the positivity rate that has now reached 13.7% – the highest since early January 2021.</p>
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<strong>It had recommended :</strong></p>
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<strong>  .Vaccinated individuals</strong> should choose drive-through and curbside options, outdoor activities, returning to social interactions with limited group sizes, as well as social distancing and wearing masks indoors.</p>
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<strong>  .Partially or unvaccinated individuals</strong> should avoid gatherings, travel, dining and shopping choosing curbside and delivery options instead. Wear a mask when conducting essential activities.</p>
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The COVID-19 vaccines continue to prove effective in protecting those who have completed the required series of shots for Moderna and Pfizer, or the single dose of Johnson and Johnson, the advisory had added.</p>