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Surge In COVID-19 Cases Stresses Texas Hospitals

CDC

  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Officials say the resurgence of COVID-19 in Texas has put some cities’ health systems in dire circumstances, as intensive care unit beds fill up. In Austin, the health department said there were only nine ICU beds available on Friday for the 11-county trauma service region that includes the city and serves 2.3 million people. San Antonio is facing a nursing shortage caused by the COVID-19 surge. As of Saturday, only 43.8% of Texas’ total population had been fully vaccinated. That trailed the national rate of 49.5% and was far behind Vermont, which had the highest rate of any state, at 67.5%, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.