Some Texas hospitals are running out of intensive care unit (ICU) beds for Covid-19 patients, turning to surge capacity that they expect will let them handle rising virus cases for another couple of weeks.

Spikes of cases in several US states including Texas, Arizona and Florida are raising concerns that the United States is relaxing lockdowns too fast and that hospitals may run out of space. Houston has considered turning part of a local stadium complex into excess hospital capacity — but local officials say that’s not currently part of their immediate plans.

The Texas Medical Center system in Houston was expected to fill its last ICU bed on Thursday, but it has created a Covid “war room” and can handle a 66 per cent surge in additional ICU patients with strategies including reassigning staff, delaying elective procedures, putting beds closer together and using regular beds for emergency use.

They calculate they will run out of space on July 6 if the current increase in Texas severe cases continues.

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