The Arizona Medical Association asked the population, which is only 55.7 percent fully vaccinated against COVID, to get the vaccine and follow CDC guidelines.
The Arizona Medical Association released a statement Friday pleading with residents to take more measures to help curb the spread of COVID-19, saying the health care system has been overwhelmed with a spike in cases.
In the statement, Dr. Miriam Anand, president of the ArMA, said experts are predicting this surge has not peaked yet. The ADHS data also showed 72 percent of emergency department beds were in use as of January 13. Anand said with such a high hospitalization rate, it is possible health care professionals will have to turn patients away.
The increase in COVID-19 cases has largely been attributed to the Omicron variant, which spreads more rapidly but experts have said causes less severe illness, though that could also be attributed to the vaccine's widespread availability.