The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 is reaching record highs in several states, including Nebraska and South Dakota.
While daily infections are rising in all but three states, the surge is most pronounced in the Midwest and Southwest.
Missouri, Oklahoma, Iowa, Indiana Nebraska, North Dakota, Colorado and New Mexico reported record high hospitalizations this week while South Dakota set records multiple times last week.
Nebraska’s largest hospital has started limiting elective surgeries and looks to bring in nurses from other states to cope with the surge while South Dakota’s Sanford Health is temporarily rescheduling nonemergency surgeries.
Sanford Vice President of Operations Andy Munce says the move is a standard part of its surge plan to ensure it can maintain staffing and bed capacity for the patients who need it.