All elective surgeries and non-emergent/non-urgent activities will be “ramped down” in Ontario hospitals beginning Monday.
“We are facing mounting and extreme pressure on our critical care capacity,” says Ontario Health President and CEO Matthew Anderson. According to Anderson, the ramp down is necessary to preserve critical care and human resource capacity.
According to the Ministry of Health, there were a record 525 people in ICUs across the province on Thursday. The ramp down is not yet applicable to hospitals in the Northern Ontario Health Region, but it may be in the near future, he said.
According to the Ontario Hospital Association, a significant redeployment of staff and resources is required. “This situation is extremely serious, and we ask for your patience and support,” the association writes on Twitter. The province-wide stay-at-home order went into effect on Thursday and will last until May 31. “These are difficult and challenging times for all Ontarians,” says the government.
