![Urgent and emergency surgeries like those for cancer and transplant patients will continue to be scheduled, the Cleveland Clinic said Wednesday. [Lisa Ryan / Ideastream Public Media]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8bf34c8/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1091x869+0+0/resize/840x670!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F1%2F12%2FKathrynCarsonmask.jpg)
The Cleveland Clinic is again extending its pause of nonessential surgeries for an additional two weeks due to the continued rise of COVID-19 infections, a high number of hospital patients, and staffing challenges, the hospital system announced Wednesday.
The postponement will last through Jan. 30, according to a hospital media release. During that time, urgent and emergency surgeries and those for people with cancer or who need a transplant will continue to be scheduled.
The pause does not include ambulatory surgery centers or ambulatory endoscopy centers.
Last month, University Hospitals and MetroHealth also postponed non-urgent surgeries. All three hospitals previously made changes to their visitation policies to combat the spread of the virus.
On Wednesday, the Clinic urged the public to take precautions to stop the spread of the virus and get vaccinated.
They majority of the patients hospitalized with COVID-19 at the Clinic are not vaccinated, the release said.
