Having worked in hospital administration in WA, albeit not on the medical end of things, the staffing issues were already a near crisis every day every shift even before the pandemic. I retired a year before Covid hit and I can only imagine how difficult it is today for staff and for those trying to get enough staff to keep all the beds operational and safely staffed. I suspect a whole lot of rules got bent during the pandemic as when you declare a healthcare emergency be it at the state level or within a single hospital the normal rules get relaxed or even suspended. Basically, hospitals are on their own to get creative as to how to meet the need or ration care or even close to new admits. Bottom line is while there may be care it may be slower and riskier for the patient. And nurses especially have their own internal standard of what is acceptable patient care and are not averse to speaking up or just quitting when they can't meet what they think is an acceptable minimum. Where I worked many of the nurses were there for the satisfaction of helping patients and families through frequently major medical issues. While some needed the job financially, many were in relationships with Boeing engineers or tech workers that made more than enough money to carry the family. So they weren't afraid to vote with their feet and either leave nursing completely or going to work in a less intense side of nursing like in a doctor's office. We need more nurses and more doctors and there needs to be a nationwide program that shows these essential workers they are needed, apppreciated and supported and stops giving medical schools the ability to limit the number of docs and nurses they produce.