Virginia Governor Ralph Northam issued a restricted emergency order Monday to assist well being care amenities and hospitals deal with rising COVID-19 hospitalizations as a result of contagious Omicron variant.

"Well being care employees and hospitals are exhausted, and they're once more dealing with rising numbers of sufferers, affecting their capacity to offer care," Northam mentioned in an announcement.

In line with the governor's workplace, the order is proscribed to 30 days. The emergency insurance policies being put in place embrace permitting hospitals to extend their mattress capability, permitting out-of-state practitioners with an energetic license and good standing to observe within the state and permitting skilled doctor assistants to see sufferers and not using a written supervisory settlement.

The state of emergency additionally waives particular laws and eases insurance policies when transferring to state-operated psychiatric hospitals.

"These steps will assist ease the pressure, giving medical professionals extra flexibility to look after individuals. Finally, the very best factor everybody can do for our hospitals and their employees is to get vaccinated," Northam mentioned within the assertion.

The brand new emergency actions come after Virginia's hospitalizations broke a pandemic file on Friday and one other on Monday. In line with the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Affiliation, greater than 3,500 COVID-19-positive sufferers are hospitalized statewide.

Intensive care sufferers have doubled since December 1, in keeping with Northam's workplace.

The Virginia Division of Well being vaccine dashboard signifies that greater than 13 million vaccine doses have been administered and that 68.1 % of the state's inhabitants is vaccinated.

Virginia State of Emergency COVID
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam issued a state of emergency on Monday to take care of rising COVID-19 instances. Above, Northam speaks to members of the media after greeting voters exterior an early voting location at Fairfax County Authorities Heart on October 19, 2020, in Fairfax, Virginia.Alex Wong/Getty Photos

Northam, a Democrat, is about to go away workplace on Saturday, when Republican Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin shall be sworn in. Youngkin's place on the emergency order was not instantly clear.

Northam's workplace mentioned the restricted length of the order was based mostly on modeling that means infections will peak within the subsequent few weeks.

Within the information launch, Northam famous that the overwhelming majority of these hospitalized are unvaccinated. He urged everybody eligible to get an preliminary shot or booster, as acceptable.

The Related Press contributed to this report.