COVID-19 hospitalizations remain high, but ventilators and oxygen supplies are low as the surge fueled by the highly-contagious Delta variant continues.

Northwest District Department of Public Health Director Dr. Gary Voccio described a “desperate” situation for area hospitals in a phone interview while urging people to get vaccinated.

“The hospitals have an enormous number of COVID cases right now,” Voccio said. “This morning, three of our hospitals had patients in the emergency room on ventilators waiting to be admitted. One of our hospitals in northwest Georgia had to get extra supplies of ventilators from the (Georgia Emergency Management Agency). Oxygen is in very short supply and in all of our hospitals, it is getting very desperate right now.”