Tufts Medical Center in Massachusetts started calling patients earlier this week to reschedule elective procedures, such as knee and hip replacements and even annual physical exams, so it could prepare for an influx of patients with coronavirus.

"As we began to see that we were going to face a significant issue with the pandemic, we started to look at what we could do to slow down the cases with social distancing," explained the health system's CEO Michael Apkon by phone.

"We also saw a reality of limited stock, including personal protective equipment, across the industry," he continued. Another concern for the hospital, according to Dr. Apkon, was making space for more coronavirus patients. Many of the elective procedures underway could require a patient to remain in the hospital for up to five days, and the situation could take a turn for the worse in that time.

"We operate close to the limit on a good day," he said, referring to the hospital's intensive care unit capacity.

As of this week, coronavirus cases in the U.S. have climbed to more than 2,000 people. The number is expected to spike higher still, as testing becomes more widespread.

Hospitals in the U.S. are facing mounting pressure to stop performing elective and non-urgent procedures, which represent a major chunk of their annual revenues. Public health officials fear that if these surgeries continue, they'll sap important supplies and resources that might be needed for the most serious coronavirus cases. There's also a concern that at-risk seniors could come into the hospital for a procedure they don't immediately need, instead of isolating themselves at home, increasing the chances of getting sick.

"My preference is they (hospitals) cancel aggressively now," said Andy Slavitt, the former administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service during the Obama Administration. "If not, I hope they start to cancel as things ramp so they don't clog other parts of the system like ICU beds and use up supplies."

"Each hospital, health system, and surgeon should thoughtfully review all scheduled elective procedures with a plan to minimize, postpone, or cancel electively scheduled operations, endoscopies, or other invasive procedures until we have passed the predicted inflection point in the exposure graph," suggests the American College of Surgeons. The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control has issued even stronger guidance in regions hit hard by the coronavirus, including Santa Clara County, specifically stating that hospitals "cancel elective and non-urgent procedures."