Just 2.15% of U.S. hospital beds are now used for COVID-19 patients

April 1 (UPI) -- As of Friday, just 2.15% of hospital beds nationwide are in use for COVID-19 patients, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

According to the HHS hospitalization utilization tracker, there are 16,138 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19, including 1,970 people in ICU beds, according to that tracker.

"I can't hear that (data on COVID-19 hospitalizations) without shouting 'hallelujah' because the stress and strain of the last two years has been so enormous," Nancy Foster, vice president for quality and patient safety policy at the American Hospital Association, told CNN.

But the U.S. healthcare system is still dealing with more than three-quarters of hospital beds being occupied nationally, according to the HHS data.

Foster told CNN she expects an influx of patients who have been delaying care as hospitals are dealing with more staffing issues than anticipated.

The CDC's COVID-19 levels map shows 95% of U.S. communities with low COVID-19 levels.