Hospitals in the United States are coming under immense strain as some reach full capacity and others face threats of strikes by staff.
Mississippi's Department of Health announced Wednesday that the state’s Covid-19 hospitalizations “are on track toward the crisis level we saw this summer,” warning that if changes weren't made immediately, there would be critical shortages of first-line care for those seriously ill or injured.
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves extended mask mandates for 15 countries through December 11, according to a release from the Governor’s office.
The Mayo Clinic Health System said its hospitals in Northwest Wisconsin were full to capacity, with 100% of its beds filled in the region. It said that half of the intensive care unit capacity is occupied by Covid-19 patients, while 40% of regular medical surgical beds are being used by Covid-19 patients -- who it said normally stay in hospital 2-3 times longer than non-Covid patients.
"The public urgently needs to treat Covid-19 as the health emergency it is to prevent the health care system from being overwhelmed,” the Mayo Clinic Health System said in a joint statement sent to CNN Wednesday.
Approximately 300 hospital staff in the area are on work restrictions due to exposure to Covid-19, the statement added.
"While we are temporarily deferring elective procedures in order to free up beds for Covid-19 patients, the public needs to understand we continue to care for other patient populations in addition to Covid patients -- we remain open for trauma, emergency care, and urgent care needs," the statement said.
Meanwhile, at least 1,500 nurses in Philadelphia are on the verge of striking, according to a spokesperson with the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals (PASNAP).
The nurses feel they have been “pushed to the brink by unsafe staffing that seriously undermines patient safety,” according to the release.
“The frontline nurses at four Philadelphia-area hospitals have taken steps toward a strike to protect their patients and themselves on the cusp of a second deadly wave of the Covid-19 pandemic,” the release said. "The nurses are seeking a commitment to safe minimum staffing levels from each of the four hospitals."
CNN has reached out to Trinity Health, Tower Health and Einstein Health for comment.