Ontario registers 4,456 new cases of COVID-19 in 24 hours, as health experts warn of rapidly increasing intensive care admissions.
Canada’s most populous province has set a new record for one-day coronavirus infections, local media reported, as it struggles to contain a growing third wave of the pandemic and cope with increasing hospitalizations.
Ontario reported 4,456 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, as well as 21 additional coronavirus-related deaths.
The new numbers come just days after Ontario Premier Doug Ford declared a state of emergency and imposed a stay-at-home order due to a rapid increase in infections, stimulated in part by more easily transmitted variants of the virus.
The increase in ICU admissions across Ontario has raised particular concerns among healthcare workers and public health experts. As of Sunday morning, 605 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care, 20 more than the day before.
Dr. Michael Warner, medical director of intensive care at Toronto’s Michael Garron Hospital, warned on Saturday that the situation “is going to get much worse.”
“On paper, Ontario has about 2,300 intensive care beds. In practice, however, we have a lot less because we just can’t equip them, ”Warner said in a video posted on Twitter on Saturday.
He called on the federal government to help coordinate the transfer of healthcare workers, including critical care nurses, from areas of Canada less affected by the pandemic to more severely affected areas, such as the Greater Toronto Area (GTA ).
“We need intensive care nurses here in the GTA to care for the patients who are arriving and the patients we already have,” he said.
There are 13 #COVID Critical Care Patients from across Atlantic Canada…. A success and a testament to a daring and effective public health strategy.
There are 19 hospitals in Ontario with> = 13 #COVID patients in their intensive care unit.
We need help. https://t.co/cpU57hXU86
– Michael Warner (@drmwarner) April 11, 2021
Government of Ontario mentionned Sunday that he would allow 700 additional pharmacies to administer AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine for people over 55, as it strives to scale up its vaccination campaign in the face of the spike in infections.
Friday, the province Posted emergency orders to allow healthcare workers to be redeployed to hospitals in need of assistance and to facilitate the transfer of patients to other facilities if they reach capacity.
Last week, the Hospital for Sick Children, commonly known as SickKids, a pediatric care facility in Toronto, also announced that it would open eight beds in its intensive care unit for COVID-19 patients aged around 40. and less.
“Patient transfers will only take place when certain hospitals in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) have exhausted available capacity after activating their surge plans, and all potential transfers to neighboring areas have been attempted,” declared the hospital declaration.
Last week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned that Canada was facing a “third very serious wave” of the pandemic.
In recent days, several provinces have reimposed tougher lockdown measures in a bid to curb the spread of the virus and ease pressure on their respective healthcare networks.
Canada’s Director of Public Health Dr Theresa Tam said on Sunday that an increase in “serious and critical illness” linked to the coronavirus was straining health systems and workers in many places.
She said that on average 2,560 people were treated daily for COVID-19 in hospitals across Canada over the past seven days, a seven percent increase from the previous seven-day period.
The number of patients in daily intensive care also increased by 23% compared to the previous week.
“Although COVID-19 continues to impact people of all ages in Canada, infection rates are highest among people aged 20 to 39,” Tam said in a report. declaration.
