The Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre is introducing more rules for visitors amid COVID-19.
With four people being treated for COVID-19 at the hospital, Incident Manager Dr. Stewart Kennedy says they are asking you to cover your mouth and nose.
“Come to the hospital prepared, and have a mask ready to put on when you enter this hospital. And certainly, all our staff will be encouraged, and mandatory when we have enough masks, to actually wear the cloth masks while in hospital,” Dr. Kennedy explains.
There are now four COVID-19 patients being treated at the hospital, including two in serious condition.
Dr. Kennedy explains the newest patient was confirmed Tuesday morning, which he says shows the hospital’s procedures are working.
“That patient had already been admitted to the 3A COVID-19 unit, because they were highly suspicious. So they followed the protocol that was established regarding who gets admitted to that unit,” he notes.
The hospital was expecting a fifth patient to be admitted Tuesday afternoon, and are waiting for results on 17 presumptive cases.
Staff are also feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on their supplies. Dr. Kennedy says they have to be cautious with some medications and blood transfusions.
“A lot of people are not going to the blood banks and giving their blood right now because of the physical distancing,” he explains. “The amount of blood in Canada is down, and blood products are down.”
The hospital official says Northwestern Ontario is doing well with precautions like physical distancing, and we have to keep it up.
