Waterloo Region looks to London as hospitalizations spike
While most of Ontario is heading into Step 2 of reopening soon the Waterloo Region is seeing a delay due to a spike of new COVID-19 infections, and the trickle down effect has brought more patients to London hospitals.
The president of St. Mary’s General Hospital, Lee Fairclough, told CTV Kitchener Thursday that more patients are coming in critically ill and that some will be transferred London.
“Hospitals are starting to send patients outside of our region due to a lack of capacity locally and this is a precarious position. We want to protect our health system.”
She adds, "We’re seeing younger and younger cases in the community, particularly the twenty to 39 year olds. But we’re also seeing younger people being admitted to hospital."
The London Health Sciences Centre, (LHSC) confirms they have received fewer than five patients, and do not anticipate further transfers.
But in an email statement officials say, "...we are ready to help our health-care partners as needed."
"From a capacity perspective we can certainly handle whatever we would anticipate the province and Waterloo send us," says LHSC's Dr. Adam Dukelow.
London has been taking patients from out of region throughout the pandemic, especially in the third wave.
During April and May LHSC routinely had critical patients from out of region, including as far as Manitoba.
The hospital system based in London is the largest in southwestern Ontario.
During June the number of out-of-region patients in acute and critical care have been fewer than five for both.
"Our hospitals are part of one health system but all health care sectors... need to work together to respond and as we work together we’ve will actually create a better health system for the future," says Dr. Dukelow.
As of Thursday the Waterloo Region had 504 active cases and accounted for 23 per cent of the province’s COVID-19 hospitalizations.
The region currently has 17 active outbreaks.
Just an hour down the road it is a different story in London-Middlesex which had 55 active cases as of Thursday.
- With files from CTV Kitchener's Max Martin
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
B.C. theatre to pay $55K to neurodivergent actor in discrimination case
British Columbia's human rights tribunal has awarded a neurodigergent actor, who was diagnosed with sensory and learning disorders, more than $55,000 after finding that a Kelowna theatre company discriminated against him because of his disabilities.
Who's responsible for regulating cannabis stores operating under the sovereignty banner?
It's not quite clear who is supposed to be regulating so-called sovereign cannabis stores or even ensure they're benefiting Indigenous communities.