Peterborough Regional Health Centre says one patient remains in the intensive care unit with COVID-19, while testing for the coronavirus has been increased throughout the region.
According to Dr. Lynn Mikula, PRHC’s chief medical executive and chief of staff, one patient remains in care in the ICU while a second patient has since been released from the ICU and their case has been declared resolved.
She also noted there have been no new cases of COVID-19 among patients or staff members. Last week, the hospital revealed a fourth staff member on an unnamed unit had tested positive and remains at home in self-isolation.
Mikula says the hospital has now tested more than 2,600 people for the coronavirus, an increase of 1,300 since the hospital announced on April 16 it would be increasing testing and would lower the threshold for conducting tests.
The moves also included assisting with a new mobile assessment centre to visit long-term care and retirement homes for on-site clinical tests. The mobile unit is a partnership with Peterborough Public Health and Peterborough County-City Paramedics.
On Monday the health unit announced 83 confirmed COVID-19 cases for the region, including three new institutional outbreaks — test results that don’t surprise Mikula.
“With this increased testing strategy, we expected to find more cases in the community,” she said.
“We’re looking harder and so we’re finding them.
“We’re now getting a better sense of the prevalence of COVID-19 in our region.”
She says the hospital is “well-prepared” for an increase in COVID-19 cases in the region.
“At this time there’s nothing else we need to do other than hold ourselves in readiness, which we have been doing for several weeks,” she said. “We feel we are well-prepared for whatever may come.”
Mikula says increased testing is the first step in getting a handle on the pandemic.
“Personally, I’m quite pleased now to see we’re starting to do this number of tests and getting a deeper understanding of what’s going on in our region. This was a very important step and I’d like to see us do even more testing.”
Emergency department ‘open 24-7’
Mikula noted that people should contact their primary care provider for less urgent matters but says the hospital remains open for emergency care. Non-urgent appointments, tests and procedures continue to be on hold at PRHC and across the province, she said.
“Our emergency department is open 24-7 and we have enhanced measures in place to keep you safe during the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said.
Mikula said hospital staff and primary care providers get the impression that some people appear to be “reluctant” or “afraid” to visit the hospital.
“It’s starting to pick up — we are seeing people come to the emergency room,” she said. “It’s great, all of these people need care and need us and we’re happy to help them. I think there was certainly a great reluctance a week or two ago. And I do believe it’s starting to pass, for which we are thankful. We don’t want people to wait if they need us.”
Mikula thanked the community for its continued support during the pandemic and says staff are ready to support their community partners “in whatever way we can.”
“We at PRHC are so grateful to stand with this community during this unprecedented time,” she said.