As of Aug. 17, Alabama had more patients in need of intensive care unit beds than designated ICU beds, according to The Washington Post and Montgomery, Ala.-based TV station WSFA.
"We've never been here before" and are "in uncharted territory in terms of our ICU bed capacity," Alabama Hospital Association President and CEO Don Williamson, MD, told WSFA.
Association spokesperson Jeannie Gaines told Becker's the state had at least 11 additional patients in need of ICU treatment Aug. 17, but no designated ICU beds for them.
Those patients in need of ICU care are still getting care, but they are being treated in emergency rooms or other parts of the hospital not designated for ICU care, according to Dr. Williamson.
The ICU strain comes as U.S. hospitals and health systems are struggling with a COVID-19 surge.
New daily COVID-19 hospitalization rates in the country have climbed 60 percent over the last two weeks, with all states seeing an upward trend in hospitalizations, according to HHS data tracked by The New York Times.
Alabama's COVID-19 hospitalization rate reached 54 per 100,000 residents Aug. 18. State hospitalizations per 100,000 are up 71 percent in the last 14 days.