Gov. Larry Hogan put out a call Tuesday for more medical help as COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Maryland and around the country.

He said in a news conference that while Maryland is doing better than at least 41 other states in the nation, hospitalization numbers continue to rise and are expected to reach a record high in the coming days.

And that’s creating problems for health care workers.“The current surge is not only increasing the burden on our health care system and filling available hospital beds, but it is also affecting our health care workers who are spread thin and operating under immense strain and stress,” he said.

Hogan said he will contact those who signed up for the Maryland Medical Reserve Corps for help. He asked colleges to award academic credits to students who work in the health care field and to allow students majoring in health sciences in their final semester to finish early and get to work in the field.

In addition, he called on local leaders to send school nurses without assignments to testing and vaccinations sites once a vaccine becomes available. And he ordered all hospitals in the state to draft surge plans and submit them to the health department by December 8.

“We’re taking these steps to insure that every single Marylander in need of a hospital bed is able to get a hospital bed,” Hogan said.