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Austin mayor tours nearly full hospital ICUs overwhelmed with young unvaccinated patients


Austin-area ICUs are facing a troubling crisis as more unvaccinated people are hospitalized with COVID-19.
Austin-area ICUs are facing a troubling crisis as more unvaccinated people are hospitalized with COVID-19.
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AUSTIN, Texas - Austin city leaders got an inside look at the ICU crisis happening in Austin-area hospitals. Public health officials warn the region is experiencing the lowest staffed ICU bed capacity since the pandemic started.

Austin Mayor Steve Adler and Travis County Judge Andy Brown shared their experience on Twitter and said they saw many people who are otherwise healthy, young, but unvaccinated patients that are now fighting coronavirus. As ICUs reach capacity, they’re urging the community to come together again to help slow the spread.

"It’s a scary situation and something that’s just so preventable if people would just get vaccines,” Adler said.

Austin-area ICUs are facing a troubling crisis as more unvaccinated people are hospitalized with COVID-19.

“I never thought we would be back in this place at this time. This virus variant is a mean virus,” Adler said.

RELATED: Urgent call for action as Austin's ICU bed capacity reaches "dire" level

COVID-19 is still enemy number one in Adler's book. Out of privacy for the patients, he didn’t tell CBS Austin exactly what he saw, but one thing’s for sure, ICUs are full.

"You come away with such a respect and admiration for the health care workers but also a frustration and anger that they’re being put through this because people are choosing not to get vaccinated,” he said.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported just seven ICU beds on Sunday in Trauma Service Area O that's putting a strain on hospitals.

Adler said hospitals are also seeing a staff shortage which could be causing the lack of ICU beds available. He added that even if beds ran out and the city needed to open up an alternative care center, there wouldn’t be enough people to staff it.

“That’s why our community should be doing everything we can to limit the number of people that are going into our intensive care units," Adler said. "You can go and do anything you want in this city right now and putting on a mask doesn’t stop that.”

Mayor Adler said he understands getting the vaccine is a personal decision, but added that making the decision to not get vaccinated is driving up the number of people in the ICU.

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