Hospitals delay elective surgeries

Thirteen Utah hospitals will postpone many non-emergency surgeries starting this week, citing health care workers overwhelmed by surging coronavirus cases.

Intermountain Healthcare said the hospitals will postpone non-urgent procedures for several weeks. The announcement came a week after state hospital leaders made emotional pleas for vaccinations and universal masking to stem a virus surge fueled by the delta variant.

There were 516 people hospitalized for COVID-19 and ICUs were 93% full in Utah last week, according to state data. That’s nearing its previous peak in December when ICUs were 104% full and 606 people were hospitalized.

About 62% of Utah residents age 12 and older have been fully vaccinated.