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Dec 21, 2021

Responding to the COVID-19 Omicron variant

We are closely monitoring the COVID-19 Omicron variant situation and have assembled an Incident Management Structure. Working with leaders inside and outside of our hospital, we are taking action to ensure that everyone who works and receives care here remains safe.

Our best defense against this new variant is receiving Dose 3 of the COVID-19 vaccines. Our immediate priority is ensuring access to vaccinations for our staff, physicians and inpatients. We are also working with our partners to extend our vaccinations efforts to our community, and we hope to share more details with you soon.

Recently, there has been an increased demand for testing at our COVID-19 Assessment Centre and we are working on expanding this service including securing additional appropriate human resources to provide support. We hope to share our expanded hours of operation with you later this week.

We have also increased our infection prevention protocols including guidance on personal protective equipment in alignment with recommendations from Ontario Health.

This week, we moved to more restrictive visitation and have made COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for designated care partners. We recognize the importance of patients having loved ones by their side during their stay with us and are committed to reopening our doors once it is safe to do so.  

Our leaders are always preparing for every outcome of this pandemic and this variant is no exception. Plans are underway for additional capacity at our hospital in the event we experience a surge in the demand for care. We are grateful to our staff and physicians who are always willing to jump in and help in any way they can, sometimes in different departments that they have the skill set to serve.

As we head into what we anticipate being a challenging winter we urge you to remain vigilant in adhering to all public health guidelines, get vaccinated once your turn becomes available, and keep virtually connected to loved ones who may be isolated.
 
Thank you.

Kim Delahunt, President & CEO