ST PAUL, Minn. — The number of people hospitalized in intensive care in Minnesota has reached the highest level yet during the COVID pandemic.
Hospitals across the state are reporting a 98% occupancy rate in adult ICU beds when COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients are included. Nearly 350 people are receiving intensive care, according to data released Monday by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).
A map shows there are currently zero ICU beds in the entire northeast region of the state, just one in western Minnesota, and only two open in the entire Twin Cities metro hospital system. MDH says as of last Friday 55 hospitals across Minnesota did not have an ICU bed available.
M Health Fairview Dr. Andrew Olson is urging people to get vaccinated and limit exposure in crowds. Among the 307 COVID-19 patients at M Health Fairview hospitals, 72% are unvaccinated.
The delta variant is the dominant strain in Minnesota, which had the highest rate of new infections in the U.S. over the past seven days, according to data Monday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.