A new report by an industry research firm has placed the Worcester area among the worst nationally for intensive care hospital beds per capita, at a time when as many beds as possible are needed for the coronavirus pandemic.
The Worcester metropolitan area ranks ninth worst among relatively larger regions, according to the New York firm AdvisorSmith. The firm lists the Worcester area as having 125 intensive care beds, or 13.2 per 100,000 people, using U.S. Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services data.
Central Massachusetts, which is a larger geographic area than what was measured by AdvisorSmith, had 177 intensive care beds occupied as of Sunday, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Another 47 ICU beds were available.