David Hoffenberg News Today

When eastern Idaho health officials meet Thursday morning, they’ll be facing an entirely different COVID-19 situation.

Hospital representatives delivered a sigh of relief to eastern Idaho health officials on Thursday, saying that the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines to frontline health care workers this week has boosted staff morale. But that relief is being tempered by the sustained staffing strains that hospitals are experiencing as virus patients fill up their ICUs. “Over half of our ICU census is COVID positive,” David Hoffenberg of Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center told the regional board. “...

But that relief is being tempered by the sustained staffing strains that hospitals are experiencing as virus patients fill up their ICUs. “Over half of our ICU census is COVID positive,” David Hoffenberg of Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center told the regional board. “Beyond that, we are very excited to report that yesterday and the night before … we administered our first vaccinations.” × Story continues below video Twenty-five of the hospital’s nearly 30 staff...