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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The rapid spread of the Omicron variant has prompted some changes in Massachusetts hospitals that take effect on Monday.
All hospitals are being directed to postpone or cancel scheduled non-essential, elective surgical procedures by 12:01 AM on Monday. Hospitals can get out of the requirement by maintaining 15% bed capacity.
Gov. Baker handed down that order last Tuesday, saying the state's hospitals are facing a "critical staffing shortage." Massachusetts is also seeing a huge number of COVID cases, notching more than 10,000 cases in a single day on Friday.
300 members of the Massachusetts National Guard will also be entering the state's hospitals where needed on Monday, to do non-medical tasks like transporting patients from place to place.
WBZ's Carl Stevens (@carlwbz) has more:
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