As COVID-19 numbers in Arizona climbed last week, the state health director sent a letter to hospitals urging them to “fully activate” emergency plans.
Hospitals are also being asked to prepare for crisis care, and to suspend elective surgeries if they are experiencing a shortage of staff or bed capacity, Dr. Cara Christ, Arizona Department of Health Services director, says in the June 6 letter.
The letter was sent on the day after the chief clinical officer of Arizona’s largest health system — Banner Health — said ICU bed occupancy was growing, and that if current trends continued would exceed capacity.
Read more at the Arizona Republic
