Hospitals in North Dakota are facing capacity issues because of non-pandemic cases taxing hospital resources, the Duluth News Tribune reports.
Representatives from Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Sanford Health, Duluth, Minn.-based Essentia Health and Grand Forks, N.D.-based Altru Health said COVID-19 patients mixed with regular cases are taxing resources, yet no facility has announced any operational change. Sanford Bismarck (N.D.) Medical Center said to the paper it plans to announce its plan to add beds this week to handle the COVID-19 surge.
North Dakota is in the midst of a COVID-19 surge. State health officials said Sept. 25 that 3,562 residents currently had COVID-19. It was the seventh out of eight days where the state set a record with active cases.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota executives said the hospitals are likely being taxed because of care put off at the beginning of the pandemic.