Officials at two Baton Rouge hospitals say a recent spike in coronavirus hospitalizations has begun to "stress" the area health care system.
Administrators at Our Lady of The Lake and Baton Rouge General say if the current trend continues, both hospitals could run out of nurses who staff Intensive Care Unit beds.
The Department of Health says 36 ICU beds are available in the Baton Rouge health region, as of July 17.
The staffing problem is further complicated in the Baton Rouge region because rural facilities that are ill-prepared for a pandemic are sending their coronavirus patients to the capital city for better treatment.
Health officials say the only way to keep the overload from happening is to continue social distancing, wearing masks and avoid large crowds.
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