seeing the conflation of in-flew influenza. australians usually precedeis and they had a bad flu season. so we hope that we don t get it, but if history proves true, we should get a bad kflu season. and we also still are covid. so all the more reason to get people to get their undated covid shot as well as their flu shot to at least hit two of the three threats that we certainly will be seeing over the winter. and the latest numbers that just came out from hhs today are that 75% of pediatric hospital beds and 78% of pediatric icu beds are currently in use nationwide.
i m doing all right, amara. trying to summon up the energy to be up bright and early with you. you ve got it. you always bring forth a pleasant presentation. i m trying to keep up. you know i d be poking you. to wake up. we start with a growing concern for parents as doctors are warning about this unprecedented surge in a respiratory illness among kids that s beginning to overwhelm hospitals. the kids say cdc cases of rsv are rising fast with 74% of pediatric hospital beds currently full across the country. that marks the highest capacity level in the last two years including at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. it s so concerning. in illinois, only 6% of pediatric icu beds remain open. in connecticut, the surge is so bad, the state s children s medical center is considering the use of a mobile use hospital
vaccinated. a second level would be masks. why did you decide to require masks inside your schools despite the fact that the governor said he would take away funding for your school district? absolutely. so this decision was something that was very difficult for our school board to consider and look into and to make a decision on. what happened is the numbers here in broward county were, we were starting to spike in our numbers. we continued to see spread that was happening throughout our county. we were now also starting to see where the hospitalization rates and the pediatric icu beds were also increasing. so whereas originally in the summer we were thinking we d be able to make it optional it just got to the point where unfortunately the data for our county was very aarming and concerning. we are coming back to school all
masks inside the schools, despite the fact that the government said he would take away funding for your school district? this decision was something that was very difficult for us to consider. and to look into. and to make a decision on. when it happened, is the numbers here in the county were starting to spike. and our numbers. and we continue to see spreads that were happening throughout our county. we are now also starting to see where the hospitalisation rates, in the pediatric icu beds were also increasing, and so whereas originally in the summertime we were thinking we are going to be able to make a optional, it just got to the point where unfortunately, the data for our county, was very alarming and very concerning. and we re coming back to school, all back in person, so we knew that the strategy was separate
schools. but parents and school boards, they are fighting back. millions of students in florida, texas and arizona are now required to wear masks in class as school boards in mostly democratic areas have defied their republican governors and made face coverings mandatory. the south remains the epicenter of the delta surge. but cases are also taking up in places with higher vaccination rates. the baltimore sun reports that across maryland, where 60% of people are fully vaccinated, 204 of the 271 staff to pediatric beds are occupied. and nearly all of the 61 pediatric icu beds are taken. covid-19 and other respiratory viruses are largely to blame. and as schools reopen with mask requirements that vary from county to county, the situation could escalate and crippled the health care system. hospital officials and medical professionals say.