COVID hospitalization breaks record in Grey-Bruce

There have never been more COVID-19 patients in Grey Bruce Health Services hospitals than there are as of Tuesday.

Sixteen COVID-positive patients are in hospital, 10 of those were admitted with the virus and six were admitted for other health reasons but are COVID-positive, according to hospital officials.

Three of those COVID patients are on ventilators in the Owen Sound Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit.

“In previous waves we accepted patients from Manitoba and the Greater Toronto Area, and now we are faced with transferring patients out of hospital,” says Grey Bruce Health Services, President and CEO, Gary Sims.

Grey Bruce Health Services (GBHS) operates hospitals in Owen Sound, Meaford, Southampton, Markdale, Lion’s Head and Wiarton. Covid patients are currently being cared for in four of the six hospitals.

There are currently 260 active COVID-19 cases in Grey-Bruce,with 11 long-term care homes in outbreak, which is adding to the strain on GBHS hospitals and staff, because hospitalized patients can’t return to those facilities.

Grey-Bruce has one of the lowest vaccination rates in Ontario, with 72.5 per cent of all residents receiving at least two doses.