Alliston hospital staff prepare for possible influx of COVID-19 patients
The rise of the Omicron variant in Ontario has hospitals in Simcoe Muskoka urging residents to follow health guidelines and get vaccinated.
On Tuesday, Simcoe Muskoka reported nearly 100 new cases and one new death.
In the Town of Alliston, the president and CEO of Stevenson Memorial Hospital, Jody Levac, said the infection rate has surged locally in recent weeks.
"We've watched that positivity rate climb 3.9 per cent last week, 3.1 per cent two weeks ago, and we're looking at about 4.5 per cent per day," said Levac.
Levac said the drive-thru assessment centre at the hospital tests the occupants of around 140 vehicles each day.
The Alliston hospital has overflow beds prepared if there is an influx of COVID-19 patients, Levac noted.
"We've had to come up with innovative and unique ways in order to offer isolation for patients who do present with COVID," said Levac via Skype.
He added that nearly a third of the front line hospital staff are fully vaccinated, including booster shots.
The race is on to vaccinate front-line workers and the public across the region.
In Orillia, Soldiers' Memorial Hospital (OSMH) staff are working to meet the demand from those over the age of 50 seeking a booster shot.
"All of our bookings for December and January have unfortunately filled up. So today, we quickly responded and added more appointments," said Melanie Moore, the director of integrated planning at OSMH.
Moore said that with weeks to go until people over the age of 18 become eligible for their third dose, they are looking at different options to meet demand through clinics, community partners and mobile immunization.
It remains unclear if additional mass vaccination sites will open to meet demand across Simcoe Muskoka.
The region's medical officer of health is expected to address the current COVID-19 situation and the rollout of booster shots in the region on Wednesday.
Dr. Gardner will hold a virtual COVID-19 update for the region on Wed., Dec. 15, at 1:30 ET.
The briefing will be streamed live on CTVNewsBarrie.ca and the CTV News app.
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