SEATTLE — Authorities say there are more people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Washington than at any time during the pandemic.
Cassie Sauer, president of the Washington State Hospital Association. said as of Thursday morning there were 1,240 people with coronavirus in state hospitals. The previous highest number was about 1,100 in December.
“Hospitals are still really, really full across the state,” Sauer said at a news conference.
Hospitals are also seeing more people due the effects of recent heat waves, smoke from wildfires and injuries due to summer activities.
Sauer said until the recent uptick in cases and hospitalizations due to the delta variant the COVID-19 hospitalization rate in the state had been holding steady at about 300 to 350 people. The numbers began increasing in early July and have been doubling about every two weeks.
There has been a slight slowing in the COVID admissions recently, but Sauer said it’s too early to say if that’s a trend.
To help free up capacity Sauer said hospitals have been working with the state to move other patients who can be discharged into places like long-term care facilities
“We will have plenty of capacity if we can move patients out,” she said.
