The Midwest of the United States is experiencing a major spike in coronavirus cases, and many hospitals are facing a shortage of intensive care beds and other vital resources to deal with the increase, the Associated Press reports.
While the US saw more than 1,000 fatalities Wednesday, the Midwest has become the epicenter of US case growth. Based on information from the New York Times, South Dakota, North Dakota and Wisconsin are leading the nation in new cases per capita. The top 15 states in new cases per capita are all in America’s heartland.
The spike in new cases is taking its toll on hospital systems. Wisconsin, which had 173 intensive care beds available for COVID patients prior to the coronavirus outbreak, now has 205 patients in intensive care, with facilities being adapted to handle greater capacity.
According to the CDC, more than 60% of hospital beds available in the Midwest are occupied with patients (not exclusively COVID patients), but one in eight hospitalized patients nationwide are patients suffering from coronavirus.
While their states are suffering under the explosion of new cases, republican governors like Oklahoma’s Kevin Stitt and Iowa’s Kim Reynolds refuse to implement public safety guidelines. The CDC, for example, recommended Iowa implement public masking requirements; Reynolds has refused to do so.