The U.S. state of Alaska has become the third state, after Montana and Idaho, to activate “crisis of care” standards at hospitals, which have become overwhelmed with unvaccinated COVID patients. 

Washington, September 24 (RHC)-- The U.S. state of Alaska has become the third state, after Montana and Idaho, to activate “crisis of care” standards at hospitals, which have become overwhelmed with unvaccinated COVID patients. 

Under the policy, hospitals may now deny treatment to people deemed less likely tosurvive. Alaska’s chief medical officer, Dr. Anne Zink, told reporters: "The strain on our hospital systems is impacting not only people with COVID-19, but people who are there because of a stroke or heart attack or a kid who falls off their bike.”

The United States reported nearly 2,800 COVID-19 deaths Wednesday, more than a quarter of the reported worldwide death toll for the day.  The Food and Drug Administration has approved third-dose booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for people aged 65 and older.