Closed Kanata hotel being retrofitted into hospital ward

A closed Kanata hotel is in the midst of being retrofitted so it can accommodate patients from Ottawa's Queensway Carleton Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sixteen hospital beds arebeing installed at the Fairfield Inn and Suites on Terry Fox Drive, which decided to close its doors to guests once the pandemic was declared.

The beds won't be for patients with COVID-19, however, but ratherfor those who can safely be cared for outside of a traditional hospital setting.

• Preparing for the surge: Ottawa-area hospitals may have to move patients around during crisis

That will shore up more room inside the hospital for those sick with the novel coronavirus, according to Lianne Learmonth, a clinical director at the Queensway Carleton Hospital.

"It's like an extension of the hospital," she said.

"We've identified a group of patients that [have] fairly low-care needsand ... would be in a safe location off-site."

The vast majority of patients who will be transferred to the hotel are seniors, Learmonth said.The hope is they'll begin moving in by the end of April.

Province asks hospitals to pause transfers

Earlier this week, the province sent a memo to hospitals telling them to temporarily pause transitioning patients to long-term care and retirement homes.

The directive is part of the provincial government's plan to protect those homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 100 of the 626 long-term care homes in Ontario alreadydealing with outbreaks.

The beds at the Kanata hotel will all be designated as "alternate level of care," or ALC.

"Thehotel was an option that was given by the Ministry of Health ... for hospitals to look at, to house ALC patients," said Learmonth.

The second floor is now in the midst of a makeover, with carpets being swapped for hard flooring and a call bell system being installed.

Learmonth said the hotel could eventually have up to 32 beds.

She said hotel officials have been "extremely helpful and responsive" to the hospital'splans.

Marriott, which owns the Fairfield Inn andSuites, told CBC News it couldn't answer specific questions about the Queensway Carleton Hospital's plans.