Over 24% of the 5,000 US hospitals have a "critical staffing shortage," according to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). More than a hundred other hospitals have stated they fear shortages in the next week. Since the HHS started publishing data in November 2020, this is the biggest share of hospital shortages.

According to the Department, these staff shortages have been developing as frontline health care employees have become ill or have been forced to quarantine due to Covid-19 exposure.  At least ten states have sent National Guardsmen to assist overloaded hospitals.

On Monday, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency for hospitals. The 30-day state of emergency is intended to allow hospitals to expand personnel and bed capacity as hospitalizations reach new highs due to a spike in coronavirus and flu cases. The number of children admitted to hospitals reached an all-time high during the epidemic.

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