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AP News Radio

00:53 sec | 1 year ago

With Hands Tied, Montana Officials Issue Public Health Plea

"There's been an escalation of the pandemic in several western states struggling to convince skeptical people to get vaccinated public health leaders have approved price of care rationing in Idaho parts of Alaska and Montana and several more states are veering dangerously close with less than ten percent of intensive care unit beds available in Idaho we're overwhelmed hospitals are rationing care statewide the state is looking at a virus positivity rate of twenty percent as hospitals in Missoula and Bozeman face increasing strain local health officials are banking Montana residents to wear masks indoors get vaccinated and limit gatherings there lamenting their inability to implement public health restrictions after Montana passed several laws earlier this year curtailing their power in Helena chief medical officer Dr Shelly Harkins with St Peter's health says the constraints of a hospital or worse than what was seen earlier in the pandemic the hospital's intensive care unit advanced medical unit and morgue are full I'm Jennifer king