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 There were only four intensive care unit beds available Tuesday in
the entire state, out of nearly 400, the governor said in a
statement.
"Where hospitals have converted other spaces to be used as
contingency ICU beds, those are filling up too," Governor Little
said.
Up to 150 guardsmen will support short-staffed medical facilities
and will be tasked with logistical support such as screenings, lab
work, and other duties, according to details of the plans to
reactivate the National Guard. An additional 200 medical and
administrative personnel will be available to Idaho through a
contract with the U.S. General Services Administration.
A 20-person Department of Defense medical response team will be
deployed to North Idaho, where vaccination rates are among the
lowest in the state, the governor said.
"We are dangerously close to activating statewide crisis standards
of care – a historic step that means Idahoans in need of healthcare
could receive a lesser standard of care or may be turned away
altogether", he added.
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 The U.S. state of Idaho has
thus far seen 221,389 cases of COVID-19 and
recorded over 2,300 deaths from the coronavirus,
according to the website of the Idaho Department
of Health. There were 1,226 new coronavirus
cases recorded on Tuesday.
Over 820,000 people in the state have received
at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine while
over 733,000 people are fully vaccinated,
according to government data.
"Idaho hospitals are beyond constrained", the
governor said on Tuesday. "It is simply not
sustainable. Please choose to receive the
vaccine now to support your fellow Idahoans who
need you".
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru;
Editing by Michael Perry)
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