The Mississippi Department of Health on Tuesday issued an order directing all hospitals to participate in a statewide Mississippi COVID-19 System of Care Plan.

The care plan, which was also used during previous waves of coronavirus infections, gives MSDH the authority to transfer critically ill patients between hospitals to get them the care they need.

“All Mississippi hospitals must participate in the plan to allow the most critically ill patients to be transferred for care while not overburdening any hospital,” MSDH said in a statement announcing the order.

Tuesday’s order, however, is more limited than the previous orders, including situations such as heart attacks, strokes, patients in need of immediate neurosurgical intervention, transplant patients with complications and ventilated patients at hospitals without the proper resources to treat them.

Issuing the order comes as Mississippi hospitals struggle with a surge of cases and hospitalizations brought by the Omicron variant.

University of Mississippi Medical Center Vice Chancellor LouAnn Woodward said on Twitter Tuesday the hospital had 125 patients admitted with COVID-19, 26 of whom were in the ICU. The hospital, she said, was holding 25 patients in the emergency room due to a lack of beds.

“This a.m. we are holding 25 admitted patients in the emergency department because no beds. And 25 isn’t the worst we have had lately,” Woodward said on Twitter. “This is still a serious virus. Y’all take care of yourselves! And help us take care of others.”

The difficulty in placing COVID-19 patients is not due to a lack of space but the staff needed to care for them. In a press conference Tuesday, UMMC officials said the hospital had about 360 open positions. Hospitals throughout the state have cited staffing shortages as a major concern with the rise in Omicron cases.

Mississippi reported 42,666 cases and 71 deaths for the week ending Jan. 9. Hospitalizations have also risen as the Omicron variant spreads.

On Tuesday, the latest data available, MSDH reported an additional 5,737 cases and 20 deaths due to COVID-19. Mississippi hospitals reported 1,211 patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection. Of those, 240 were in the ICU.

COVID-19 vaccines remain widely available throughout the state at pharmacies and clinics, as well as each of the 82 county health departments. As of Tuesday, 49% of Mississippians were fully vaccinated.

In Lauderdale County, 48% of residents were fully vaccinated and 53% had received at least one dose. The county has reported 14,212 cases and 324 deaths from COVID-19 since early 2020.