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While the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Washington may be showing early signs of a plateau, infection numbers are still high and scenes inside health care facilities remain “really bad,” some state hospital leaders said Monday.

Hospital officials counted 1,673 hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the state as of Monday, , Taya Briley, executive vice president of the Washington State Hospital Association, said at a news conference.

“While these numbers are steady, they are still very sobering,” Briley said. “We’re in the midst of the worst peak of COVID cases we’ve experienced since the beginning of the pandemic.”

The stable number of hospitalizations also doesn’t yet take into consideration the effects of recent summer mass gatherings, including fairs, large concerts and school activities, she said.

The recent hospitalizations include a growing number of younger patients, with patients 60 years old or younger making up 20% to 25% of hospitalizations in this most recent surge, Briley said. In addition, hospitals are counting more and more pediatric cases.