Michigan hospital leaders renew vaccination plea amid deaths

LANSING, Mich. (AP) – Michigan health and business officials are pleading with people to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

They cite hospital workforce shortages, unnecessary deaths and concerns that end-of-summer travel and the return to school may fuel a case surge.

Hospitals are operating at near capacity as coronavirus caseloads rise and non-COVID-19 patients seek care they delayed.

The 1,300 adults who were hospitalized with COVID-19 on Wednesday was well below past peaks.

But hospitals say there are fewer employees and that non-COVID-19 patients are being hospitalized for longer. Physicians say there’s a new dimension of stress and sadness on the front lines caring for dying patients who aren’t vaccinated.