Hospital Capacity Becoming Limited in Missouri

(AP) — Hospital beds across Missouri are nearly four-fifths full, and capacity is even more limited in intensive care units as the coronavirus pandemic continues its autumn surge.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services on Monday cited 2,805 hospitalizations statewide — double the number from a month ago.

The state’s COVID-19 dashboard notes that just 21% of capacity remains at hospitals, and ICU capacity is down to 17%.

Bed capacity is at 13% in northwest Missouri, 17% in the St. Louis region and 19% in Kansas City. ICU capacity is at 13% in the southwestern part of the state and in St. Louis.

The state reported 3,370 new confirmed cases and two more deaths on Monday.

All told, Missouri has reported 274,897 confirmed cases and 3,561 deaths since the pandemic began.

The seven-day positivity rate is 20.4%.