Idaho public health leaders announced Tuesday that they activated “crisis standards of care” allowing health care rationing for the state’s northern hospitals because there are more coronavirus patients than the institutions can handle. The move came as the state’s confirmed coronavirus cases skyrocketed in recent weeks. Idaho has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the U.S. The move allows hospitals to allot scarce resources like intensive care unit rooms to patients most likely to survive and make other dramatic changes to the way they treat patients. Other patients will still receive care, but they may be placed in hospital classrooms or conference rooms rather than traditional hospital rooms or go without some life-saving medical equipment.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson Tuesday announced tax increases to support the country’s state-funded National Health Service as it struggles to manage a backlog of millions of patients in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The U.K. government will increase payroll and dividend taxes by 1.25% respectively to raise £12 billion, equivalent to $16.5 billion, a year starting in 2022. The government aims to pump cash into the NHS and, in the longer term, overhaul the country’s care system.
In Florida news, Walmart Health has registered names for seven Walmart Health centers to offer primary care, urgent care, dental services, imaging, counseling, optical, ab and hearing services. The company is building some health centers within its stores, while some Supercenters are being expanded to house clinics. Walmart Health opened its first center in Georgia in September 2019. Walmart Health has not announced opening dates for its Florida locations.
CSSE is reporting 40,412,799 positive cases in the U.S. and 652,175 deaths.