Hospitalizations for covid-19 in the US grow like a year ago

More children continue to be admitted to US hospitals by omicron 3:48

(CNN) -

The spread of the omicron variant of the new coronavirus is causing widespread disruption in the United States as hospitalizations hit a level not seen since the rebound recorded during the 2020-21 year-end season.

More than 141,000 Americans remained hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Monday, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services, approaching the record of 142,246 hospitalizations on January 14, 2021.

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This is overloading healthcare networks as hospitals juggle staffing problems caused by increased demand, which adds to the fact that employees, who are at higher risk of infection, have to isolate themselves and recover afterwards. to test positive.

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In Virginia, Gov. Ralph Northam declared a limited state of emergency on Monday as the number of ICU hospitalizations more than doubled since Dec. 1.

The order allows hospitals to expand bed capacity and provide more flexibility in staffing, he said.

And he added that it also expands the use of telehealth, as well as medical professionals who can administer vaccines.

In Texas, at least 2,700 salid workers have been hired, trained and deployed to help with the rebound.

They join more than .300 workers already dispatched statewide, the Texas Department of State Health Services said in a statement to CNN.

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Kentucky has mobilized the National Guard to provide support, dispatching 445 members to 30 health care centers, the state announced.

"Ómicron continues to burn in the community, growing at levels we've never seen before. Ómicron is significantly more contagious than even the delta variant," Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said, noting that the earlier variant led to an increase in cases in the summer and fall months.

"If it spreads at the rate we're seeing, it's definitely going to fill our hospitals," he said, and Kentucky "has 134 beds available in the adult ICU."

In Kansas, the University of Kansas Health System (UKHS), which announced a record number of COVID-19 patients, is "moving staff from areas that can support direct patient care support functions," he said. Chris Ruder, UKHS Chief Operating Officer.

"That can be running a lab, it can be just transporting patients. Those kinds of things where we can help other people."

Mitigation measures, such as the mandatory use of masks, are also being reactivated in some areas.

Delaware Governor John Carney signed a universal indoor mask mandate Monday due to rising hospitalizations, with some hospitals "with more than 100% of inpatient bed capacity amid staff shortages. crippling, "he said in a statement. Churches and places of worship are exempt from the mandate, while companies are required to provide masks to customers and have signs on indoor mask wear requirements.

"I know we are all exhausted from this pandemic. But with the level of hospitalizations that we are seeing, Delaware citizens who need emergency care may not be able to get it. That is a given. It is time for everyone to step up and do the same. That works. Wear your mask indoors. Avoid gatherings or consider that you will contract and spread COVID. Get vaccinated and, if eligible, get a booster dose. This is how we will overcome this spike without putting more lives at risk, "Carney said .

Schools are facing omicron problems

The debate over school safety against COVID-19 continues, as only one in six children between the ages of 5 and 11 is fully vaccinated, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (CDC).

As Los Angeles prepared to return to school on Tuesday, approximately 62,000 students and employees tested positive for COVID-19 and will have to stay home, data from the Los Angeles Unified School District showed on Monday.

This equates to a positivity rate of 14.99%.

Los Angeles County's positivity rate overall, by comparison, has skyrocketed to 22%.

In Chicago, educators will return to school Tuesday and students are scheduled to resume face-to-face classes Wednesday after a nearly week-long dispute.

The Chicago Teachers Union had voted last week to teach distance learning, and the school district responded by canceling classes for four days.

The agreement, announced Monday night, included metrics on when a classroom would have to return to remote classes due to covid-19 levels.

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In areas where schools have returned to face-to-face classes after the holidays, the time it takes for people with COVID-19 to recover has affected some essential services.

A Greensboro, North Carolina school district suspended school bus transportation for eight of its high schools as of Monday due to a "severe shortage of bus drivers made worse by rising COVID-19 cases," according to a statement from Guilford County Schools.

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"Until this weekend, we don't have enough bus drivers to continue serving all students, so we had to make some really tough decisions," said GCS Director of Operations Michelle Reed.

To offset the pressure on parents and guardians, the district has developed a partnership "that will allow high school students to ride city buses for free," according to the GCS statement.

Other sectors continue to be affected

The strain of the rise of the omicron variant has not only affected healthcare workers and educators, but other sectors are also struggling due to the high infection rate.

Some municipalities have seen nearly a quarter of their garbage collection workforce fall ill from COVID-19 in recent weeks, leading to delays, according to the Solid Waste Association of North America.

"Unfortunately, this coincided with the increased volumes of trash and recycling associated with the holidays. However, we hope that as volumes decline and sanitation workers return to work, these delays will be temporary," said the CEO. and CEO David Biderman in a statement Monday.

When it comes to travel, US airlines canceled thousands more flights over the weekend due to COVID-19 staff absences and winter storms.

For its part, the Royal Caribbean International cruise line announced that it canceled trips on four ships due to "ongoing circumstances related to covid around the world."

Last week, Norwegian Cruise Line canceled the voyages of eight ships.

Public transportation systems in major metropolitan areas such as New York City and Washington have had to reduce service due to employees suffering from Covid-19.

In Detroit, between 20% and 25% of SMART bus service has been canceled or delayed, the agency said in a statement Saturday.

And Portland, Oregon buses "face the most significant operator shortage in agency history."

Bus service was reduced by 9% through Sunday, the agency said.

CNN's Rosa Flores, Claudia Domínguez, David Shortell, Pete Muntean, Deidre McPhillips, Melissa Alonso, Hannah Sarisohn, Cheri Mossburg and Jenn Selva contributed to this report.

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