Sudbury's Health Sciences North (HSN) hospital is following a provincial directive and for the next two weeks will be cutting surgeries back to 80 per cent.
The province is working to ensure that hospitals have enough capacity to handle a possible influx of new COVID-19 patients.
At the same time, the hospital said it is caring for 22 COVID-19 positive patients as of Jan. 4. Four of the patients are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) along with several other patients getting intensive care for other illnesses.
The hospital is also coping with a new COVID-19 outbreak on the fourth floor of the South Tower.
"As of January 4th, out of its 4,600 employees and medical staff, HSN reports approximately 21 employees and medical staff who are positive for COVID-19 and approximately 57 others who are self-isolating due to a high-risk contact exposure," said a statement from the hospital.
In the meantime, COVID-19 testing continues at the HSN assessment centre on Regent Street, said the HSN statement. The daily average in the past week has been 366 tests done daily despite statutory holidays and a high of 528 tests done on Dec. 30.
HSN said it kept the assessment centre open every day during the holidays to allow for shorter turnaround times.
"Unlike some other Canadian hospitals, HSN is not yet facing a shortage of PCR tests. Provincial guidance was issued on December 30th to help prioritize PCR testing. The province aims to maintain turnaround times of 48 hours for PCR testing. HSN appreciates the public’s understanding if, at some stage, PCR appointments are not given due to prioritization," said the statement from the hospital.
The hospital has a long list of those who qualify for PCR testing, which would include the following:
- Hospitalized patients.
- Patients in Emergency Departments, at the discretion of the treating clinician.
- Patient-facing health care workers.
- Staff, residents, essential care providers, and visitors in hospitals and congregate living settings, including long-term care, retirement homes,
- First Nation elder care lodges, group homes, shelters, hospices, temporary foreign worker settings, and correctional institutions.
- Outpatients for whom COVID-19 treatment is being considered under housed or homeless
- People who are from First Nation, Inuit, and Métis communities and individuals traveling into these communities for work
- Symptomatic elementary and secondary students and education staff who have received a PCR self-collection kit through their school
- People on admission/transfer to or from hospital or congregate living setting.
- High-risk contacts and asymptomatic/symptomatic people in the context of confirmed or suspected outbreaks in high-risk settings, including hospitals, long-term care, retirement homes, other congregate living settings and institutions, and other settings as directed by the local public health unit.
HSN said it may decline requests for COVID-19 PCR tests that are not part of these provincial recommendations.
