COVID surge threatens to overwhelm some primary care offices

By REBECCA BOONE
Associated Press

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Doctor’s offices and urgent care centers are bracing for impact as they again face high patient demand and more staffers out sick from the the super-contagious omicron variant. The number of new COVID-19 cases across the U.S. reached a new record this week, and some primary care providers fear they will be overwhelmed by the surge. Dr. David Peterman with Primary Health Medical Group in southwestern Idaho says Monday marked the second-busiest day for urgent care patients in the company’s history. Dr. Laura Byerly with Virginia Garcia Memorial Medical Center in northwestern Oregon says her primary care clinics are shifting back to a telehealth model because of the surge.