Alaska’s biggest hospital has begun limiting care, citing overcrowding from Covid-19 patients. Providence Alaska Medical Center said on Tuesday that it will prioritise resources and treatment for patients who stand to gain the most.

Dr. Kristen Solana Walkinshaw, the hospital’s head of staff, claims that “we are no more able to offer the quality of care to each and every patient that requires our assistance.”

Alaska, like other states, has witnessed an increase in Covid-19 infections caused by the coronavirus’s delta form.

In Anchorage, a population of 300,000 people, Providence is one of just three hospitals. According to Walkinshaw, Providence’s emergency department is overcrowded, and people are waiting in their vehicles for hours to see a doctor for emergency care.