Providence announced that due to the surge in COVID-19 patients, it is postponing elective surgeries and procedures at Sacred Heart Medical Center and Holy Family Hospital.

Hospitalizations for COVID-19 are growing this week in Spokane County as the number of overall new cases topped 1,000 in the past four days.

There are now 211 people hospitalized in Spokane County with the virus. Statewide, there are 1,346 people hospitalized with the virus as of Tuesday.

More than 90% of patients hospitalized at Sacred Heart Medical Center and Holy Family Hospital for COVID-19 are not vaccinated.

If you have a surgery scheduled in the next two weeks, providers ask you to call the provider’s office for more information.

Providence does not know how long the pause will last, due to the continuing surge in COVID patients.

The delta variant is the leading cause for the surge.

New state data indicate that vaccines are largely effective at preventing both infection and hospitalization due to the virus. In Spokane County, from February to July, 95% of confirmed COVID-19 cases were in people who had not been vaccinated.

Currently, 58.1% of the eligible population in Spokane County have initiated vaccination, but a little more than 50% of the total population is still unvaccinated and vulnerable to the virus.

Health officials are asking residents to mask up and get vaccinated to help curb the surge in cases and hospitalizations seen in the Inland Northwest, which is putting immense strain on local hospitals.

Here’s a look at local numbersThe Spokane Regional Health District reported 310 new COVID-19 cases and one additional death on Thursday.

There have been 728 deaths due to COVID-19 in Spokane County residents.

There are 211 people hospitalized for COVID-19 in Spokane.

The Panhandle Health District confirmed 74 new cases on Thursday and no additional deaths.

There are 102 Panhandle residents hospitalized with the virus.