Hospitals in northwestern Wisconsin are at 100 percent capacity, officials said, as the state continues to battle a record number of COVID-19 cases and deaths.
The Mayo Clinic Health System, which operates hospitals in the region encompassing Barron, Bloomer, Eau Claire, Osseo and Menomonie, said all their beds were full as of Tuesday afternoon, according to WQOW. Eighty-three of its patients had COVID-19.
“The public urgently needs to treat COVID-19 as the health emergency it is to prevent the health care system from being overwhelmed,” said officials in a statement. “We are pleading for everyone’s help to wear a mask and follow all public health guidelines to limit the spread of this disease.”
Fifty percent of patients in their intensive care unit are sick with coronavirus.
The pandemic has also forced 300 of the system’s employees on work restrictions.
On Tuesday, the Badger State reported its worst day yet with 7,073 new cases of COVID-19 and 66 deaths, according to the Wisconsin Rapids Tribune.
A total of 2,395 people have died in the state.
“COVID continues unabated and worse than ever,” said Ben Weston, director of medical services for the Milwaukee County Office of Emergency Management. “We need to buckle down, we need to be personally responsible and we need to protect our community.”