As COVID Cases Spike, Alabama Hospitals Run Out Of ICU Beds

Hospitals in Alabama have run out of ICU beds as COVID-19 cases rise, leaving over two dozen critically ill patients waiting in emergency rooms for a vacant bed.

Alabama has one of the lowest U.S. vaccination rates with only 36% of its population fully vaccinated. On Wednesday, it reported “negative 29” ICU beds, a sign of what may be on the horizon for other states with low inoculations.

"We've never been here before. We are truly now in uncharted territory in terms of our ICU bed capacity," AHA President Donald Williamson told WSFA 12 News, an NBC affiliate in Montgomery, on Tuesday.

WHNT, a CBS affiliate in Huntsville, reported that hospital staff have been forced to convert hallways, regular patient rooms and emergency spaces into areas where they can treat patients in need of ICU beds.

"This could've been prevented if we'd gotten vaccination numbers to higher levels," Williamson added.

In July, Alabama Republican Gov. Kay Ivey also blamed those who are still refusing to get vaccinated for the rise in COVID-19 cases in her state, saying they “are letting us down.”

There are currently 645,851 total reported COVID-19 cases in Alabama, with a daily average of 3,728.

In the week ending Aug. 12, one in five American ICUs had reached or exceeded 95% of beds full. Most of the hospital occupancy crisis is concentrated in the South, The New York Times found.