Austin reportedly only has 16 ICU beds left due to COVID surge By FOX 7 Austin Digital Team Published AUSTIN, Texas - Central Texas is now facing the lowest staffed ICU bed capacity since the beginning of the pandemic with only 16 staffed beds available, according to Austin Public Health (APH). The 16 ICU beds are the only ones available for as many as 11 counties with over 2.3 million residents. 11 county Trauma Service Region O (TSA-O), which includes Austin and provides service to over 2.3 million residents, is facing low ICU bed capacity similar to the beginning of the pandemic, according to APH. In a joint statement by Ascension Seton, Baylor Scott & White, and St. David’s Healthcare, the hospitals noted, "The latest COVID-19 spike is putting extraordinary pressure on our hospitals, emergency departments, and healthcare professionals, and it has further challenged hospital staffing due to a longstanding nursing shortage."