Hospitals in Maine are reporting a protective gear shortage that’s greater than the national average.
It comes at a time when hospitalizations statewide have failed to drop below the triple-digits since November.
Ten hospitals — or 29 percent — are reporting shortages in gear such as masks, gloves, booties and goggles, compared to the national average of 21 percent, or 1,052 hospitals, the Portland Press Herald reported.
However, while supplies have been tight, hospitals are saying they are nowhere near a crisis just yet.
“Supply chains will always cause our numbers to fluctuate, but there is nothing that is causing us any alarm in recent months,” John Porter, spokesperson for MaineHealth, told the Press Herald.
Earlier this month, the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 surpassed a record threshold of 200. The 202 hospitalizations reported on Jan. 6 surpassed the previous state record of 198, set in mid-December.
As of Saturday, the Maine Center of Disease Control and Prevention reported 161 total hospitalizations.