DOTHAN, Ala. (WDHN) — Throughout the past months, the number of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths have been on a record high, according to one state medical professional.

According to Dr. Don Williamson with the Alabama Hospital Association, when looking at the numbers of hospitalizations during the last couple of weeks, the state of Alabama might have hit a plateau. He said only the coming weeks will tell.

“We had 27 hundred and 76 patients in the hospital, and that is about 300 below our historic highs but we are running that number now for over a week,” Williamson said.

Williamson said in the U.K., the Delta variant peaked for about two months and suddenly declined, with no reason why. He said that seems to be what hospitals in Alabama are seeing, but he said enough bad practices can reverse these numbers.

He said it is important to practice all CDC guidelines when it comes to fighting the coronavirus because this is the only way to be sure we have hit a plateau.

“While there may be a perception that things have gotten better, the reality is things have simply stabilized a little bit at an unacceptably high level,” Williamson said.

Doctor Williamson said the only long-term solution to bring state-wide hospitalizations down is vaccinations. He said vaccines are critical to moving us out of what he calls a “problematic situation.”

“We think the next two weeks or ten days are going to be critical in telling us if we have reached a plateau, and it’s going to stay there and begin to improve or if this is simply a pause before our numbers get higher,” Williamson said.

Williamson encourages people to wear their masks, vaccinated or not, and people who are not, to think about others and just get their vaccines.