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DENVER (KDVR) – According to Gov. Jared Polis, Colorado hospitals now have more COVID-19 patients than in the start of the pandemic.

Hospitals in Denver are once again delaying non-emergency surgeries to make sure there are enough beds for patients battling COVID-19 this fall and winter.

“Our staff has been at this for months, and now here we are going into the holiday season and winter with another surge,” said Dr. Connie Savor Price, chief medical officer with Denver Health.

At Denver Health, the uptick started just after Labor Day. It has seen a steep increase in patients for the past three weeks. At the peak of the pandemic in April, Denver Health had 71 patients but just this past weekend, its hospital saw 61.

Price said Denver Health makes decisions almost every other day which surgeries or procedures they can postpone. Some of those patients received a second round of disappointing news after getting delayed in the spring.

“Some patients have been delayed before, and they are getting told again their procedure has to be pushed back,” said Price. “They have been amazing about it our patients are wonderful. They are part of helping us get through this.”

UCHealth is taking similar measures.

“We’re doing what many hospitals and health systems in our state are doing right now,” said Jessica Berry with UCHealth. “A small number of cases that would have led to a hospital admission and that can be safely delayed for several weeks are being postponed.”

According to Berry, all outpatient surgeries and procedures are continuing at this time.

Denver Health, however, has postponed about half of its surgeries and procedures in the past three weeks.

Price added that along with making sure there are enough beds for COVID-19 patients, taking care of its nurses’ and doctors’ mental health is also a priority, as the staff now once again tackles another surge. 

While hospitals prepare for another surge as they saw in the spring, one notable difference and major relief is no lack of personal protective equipment.

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story misspelled Dr. Price’s surname. It has been corrected.