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ICU beds in Austin-Travis County 83% full; top doctor says it’s typical

In addition, there are 2,473 staffed beds in total within all three health care systems, with 75% occupied.

AUSTIN, Texas — ICU hospital beds in Austin and Travis County are 83% full as the number of cases continues to grow in the midst of the holiday season.

According to the latest hospital capacity report that was released on Dec. 8, there are 483 ICU beds available in Austin-Travis County between Ascension Seton, Baylor Scott & White Health and St. David's HealthCare. Of those, 83% are occupied.

RELATED: Smaller hospitals in rural Texas struggle to find beds for critical COVID-19 patients

In addition, there are 2,473 beds in total within all three health care systems, with 75% occupied, the report states.

However, Austin's top doctor, Dr. Mark Escott, said, currently, ICUs in Austin have plenty of capacity and that they are running at typical vacancy levels for this time of year. 

As cases grow, doctors in the Austin area were worried about going into the holiday season. For context, on Nov. 19, Austin-area hospitals had 21% of their beds available, and 15% of ICU beds open.

RELATED: As COVID-19 trends break records, doctors worried going into holiday season

Back in September, Gov. Greg Abbott issued an order, saying hospitals in Texas should reserve at least 10% of its hospital capacity for COVID-19 patients.

On Monday, Austin-Travis County health officials added one more death and 272 new cases. There have now been a total of 40,481 cases, 37,228 recoveries and 495 deaths in the area since the pandemic began. 

WATCH: Rural hospitals in Texas struggling with capacity concerns

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