ORILLIA, ONT. -- Ontario is asking hospitals to be ready to use their surge capacity within 48 hours should soaring COVID-19 cases prompt the need for extra beds at short notice.

Ontario reached another record-breaking day with COVID-19 numbers, and the Ontario Hospital Association's (OHA) board of directors warned things could get much worse.

"We have surveys that tell us a lot of Ontarians aren't planning on abiding by the guidelines over the holidays," said Dr. Samantha Hill, Ontario Medical Association president.

The organization said the worsening pandemic and related pressure on hospitals is deeply concerning.

"The physicians I know, whether they work on the frontline or public health, we're all very concerned that there is the possibility of these numbers to hit 10,000 by mid-January, and frankly, we just don't have the system resources to deal with that," added Hill.

In Barrie, Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre's President and CEO Janice Skot said they are prepared. "We have a capacity plan that we've already put together where our intensive care unit beds go from 16 to 37, so more than doubling those. We have all the equipment, like ventilators, that we need already in the building. So there are lots of pieces in place for us."

The staff at Orillia Soldiers' Memorial Hospital have also been preparing for this day.

Carmine Stumpo, president and CEO, said the Orillia hospital has 20 surge beds in anticipation of an increase in activity.

"We are also operating at about 85 per cent occupancy, which means we have the capacity currently to respond to an increase in COVID positive patients," Stumpo said.

Both hospital officials said there are no immediate plans to cancel surgeries but add that could change with the rising infection rates.

The province reported 2,139 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday and 43 new deaths due to the virus. Those followed a single-day provincial record of 2,275 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday.