Hospitals in northeastern Ontario short-staffed due to high COVID-19 numbers

The sixth wave of COVID-19 has left hospitals across northeastern Ontario short-staffed.

Sudbury's Health Sciences North (HSN)was short 194 staff members on Tuesday due to COVID-19 exposure, the hospital confirmed. That represents 4.2 per cent of the hospital's total workforce.

Hospital spokesperson Jason Turnbull said in an email to CBC News that since January, between 92 and 204 employees have had to self-isolate at home at any given time because they either had COVID-19, or were close contacts with someone who had the virus.

"Our public health unit area continues to be in the top nine districts in the province with the highest number of active COVID cases per capita," Turnbull said.

"COVID hospitalizations in Ontario have increased from 553 to 1,366 in the last 16 days."

The Sudbury hospital had 34 COVID-19 patients as of Tuesday, and has had 528 patients since Jan. 18.

"That's more than HSN admitted from March 2020 to mid-January 2022," Turnbull said.

The Sault Area Hospital, the region's second largest,had 73 employees off the job Tuesday after testing positive for the coronavirus.

"At present, we are managing the shortages as well as could be expected, and we are proud of the ongoing flexibility and collaboration of our teams," said communications officer Rose Calibani.

Smaller hospitals have also been affectedby staffing shortages due to COVID-19.

Pierre Noel, Mattawa Hospital's president and CEO, said that for the first time, his employees aremore likely to catch COVID-19 in the community than at work.

"And what results is that other workers, other colleagues need to work more," he said.

"We've been able to manage so far, but it's been challenging."

Noel, who also runs the attached Algonquin nursing home in Mattawa, said it's alsobeen difficult because health care workers are required to self-isolate for 10 days after possible exposure, instead of five days for the general public.

Temiskaming Hospital CEO Mike Baker said he has had to hire 16 temporary nurses to fill gaps at the small hospital, which has been overcapacity for months.

"The scheduling of staff on a daily basis has become a massive challenge," he said.

"People in every department practically in the hospital that are away, either because they have COVID or are a close contact to a high-risk positive."

Baker saidthe New Liskeard hospital has also reinstated visitor restrictions, while setting new records for admitted COVID patients, although most have mild symptoms.