The State of Idaho enacted crisis standards of care for the hospitals throughout the state Thursday morning as a surge of COVID-19 patients left hospitals without enough beds to care for everyone in need of urgent care.

That means that doctors may have to choose which patients receive a ventilator and other medical interventions. Hospitals will implement their own crisis standards policies as needed. If a hospital is managing under its current  cirumstances it may be able to avoid them.

The enacting of crisis standards came the day after 55 Idahoans died of COVID, according to Idaho Health and Welfare.

"The situation is dire--we don't enough resources to adequately treat the patients in our hospitals, whether you are there for COVID-19 or a heart attack or because of a car accident," said Health and Welfare Director Dave Jeppesen.

St. Luke's Wood River has been taking patients from other hospitals. Non-emergency surgeries and procedures have been paused until Oct. 4 at all St. Luke's hospitals.