The US state of Arkansas is out of beds in the intensive care unit (ICU) to treat Covid-19 patients as the Delta variant is taking more lives.
“Our ICU beds for Covid patients are full in Arkansas,” Gov. Asa Hutchinson said during a weekly briefing.
More than 92 percent of coronavirus cases and 90 percent of deaths are occurring among the unvaccinated, he added.
“That is a cautionary note for everyone and should emphasize the need to get our vaccinations done,” the governor reiterated.
As the highly contagious delta variant of Covid-19 is sending more US citizens to the hospitals, the health officials are under pressure to make room for growing numbers of patients.
According to the latest federal data, the state of Texas was also nearly out of ICU beds last week.
At least 89 hospitals in the state reported that their ICU beds were filled to capacity between Aug. 13 and Aug. 19.
Meanwhile, the Alabama Hospital Association has issued the same report.
On Monday the association announced that there are 1,536 staffed ICU beds in the state and 1,589 ICU patients.
While the US officials are trying to blame the unvaccinated people for the new surge of the Covid-19 in the country, a new report by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that some 25% of SARS-CoV-2 infections among Los Angeles County residents have occurred in fully vaccinated citizens.
The administration of US President Joe Biden managed to bring the number of Covid-19 fatalities below 1,000 deaths per day since mid-March via a widespread vaccination program.
However, the rapid spread of the Delta variant of the coronavirus, which is more infectious than previous versions of the virus, has once again increased cases and hospitalizations in the country.