High demand for hospital beds in Minnesota, ICU beds at 95%

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP/SMN) — Health officials say the recent surge in the coronavirus delta variant has coincided with a high demand for hospital beds across Minnesota.

The state Department of Health says 95 percent of intensive care unit beds are occupied and 91 percent of overall hospital beds are in use.

In Minnesota’s South Central region, about 13% of staffed intensive care unit beds are unoccupied.  That’s a total of about three beds, according to MDH’s Response and Capacity Report, updated Monday.  The South Central region includes the counties of Blue Earth, Brown, Faribault, McLeod, Martin, Watonwan, Waseca, Nicollet, Sibley, Le Sueur, and Meeker.

There are about 98 non-ICU beds (26%) that are currently open in the same region.

The numbers are even tighter in metro areas as COVID-19 cases are on the rise. Minnesota Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm says the need extends beyond coronavirus patients. Malcolm says some patients deferred care during the most intense parts of the pandemic and are now landing in the hospital.