Table 3.

Guiding statement for patient triage during tier 3 (60%-80% inpatient COVID-19 load, severe reduction in operative capacity)

Tier 3
Essential services	Deferred
•All inpatients who cannot be discharged safely without surgical intervention/correction, including emergency services	•All patients who are outpatients •Patients deteriorating while waiting would need to meet criteria for admission before consideration for surgery
►Programs are encouraged to adopt a mechanism by which patients can be screened regularly to identify those having increased symptoms or progression of disease ►Transcatheter interventions will follow the same recommendations ►Alternative percutaneous therapies with rapid discharge from the hospital should be considered ►Thoracic organ transplant guidance is provided by the United Network for Organ Sharing