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As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, a mass nurse shortage in Harris County has drawn attention from Judge Lina Hidalgo, outlining a $30 million investment to bring in 622 new nurses to the county.
Harris County currently reports 54,346 estimated active cases, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
"We have massive nurse shortages due to record numbers of COVID patients. We have ER closures and the delay of vital surgeries. People are dying needlessly. Get your vaccine," Hidalgo said in a tweet.
As hospitals continue to fill up, more medical staff is needed to keep up with the overwhelming capacities.
"Over the past three weeks, 1,300 out-of-town nurses have had to be brought to Harris County. We may be the largest medical center in the world, but we’ve run out of nurses. This is a crisis. Don't be the cause of it," Hidalgo continued.
A recent CBS News report highlights the severity of the Texas coronavirus crisis following the death of U.S. Army veteran Daniel Wilkinson, who died of a treatable illness because there were no available beds in the ICU.
"I've never lost a patient from this diagnosis, ever," Emergency Room Physician Dr. Hasan Kakli told CBS News. "We know what needs to be done and we know how to treat it, and we get them to where they need to go. I'm scared that the next patient that I see is someone that I can't get to where they need to get to go."
A report by Spectrum Local News states Texas had 13,928 COVID hospitalizations as of Aug. 25, nearing an all-time high.
With thousands of new cases being reported each day, only 306 ICU beds are available throughout the state with many hospitals down to ICU beds in the single digits, Spectrum reports.
As schools enter the beginning of the academic year, more than 20,000 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed among students since the school year began, according to a report by the Texas Tribune. Over 3,000 new cases have been reported in staff members through the week ending Aug 22.