Nearly all staff members at Peterborough Regional Health Centre who had previously tested positive for the novel coronavirus have been resolved, the hospital announced Tuesday.
In her media conference, Dr. Lynn Mikula, the hospital’s chief medical executive and chief of staff, said with the exception of one individual, all other cases of COVID-19 involving staff have been “declared resolved.”
In April, up for four staff members were positive for COVID-19 and were placed in self-isolation.
“We have not identified any new cases among PRHC staff members,” she said.
Currently, there is one patient in the intensive care unit with COVID-19, Mikula said.
The hospital has assisted in testing more than 4,000 people for coronavirus and its COVID-19 mobile assessment team has assisted Peterborough Public Health and Peterborough County-City Paramedics with testing of up to 2,600 residents and staff at long-term cares in the city.
Mikula noted the hospital is currently working on a coordinated regional plan as part of the province’s framework released last week to resume elective surgeries and procedures while balancing capacity to meet any pandemic surge.
“Restarting the engine of health care won’t start overnight. And we also won’t go back to where we were before quickly.”
Prior to the pandemic, she noted the hospital was often operating above 100 per cent capacity. Since the pandemic in March, the hospital has been aiming to keep 85 per cent capacity in the event of a future surge in coronavirus cases.
As of Tuesday, she said PRHC was at 84.5 clinical occupancy.
“Today we good, tomorrow it may well shift, either up or down,” she said. “We are working closely with our regional partners for strategies on this. It will take a lot of coordination and some creative thinking on our part on how to manage things differently in this new world.”
She noted among the criteria is having a 30-day supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) on hand. However, she noted while overall supplies are in “good shape”, there are some without a 30-day supply.
“For the most part we are able to meet that criteria,” she said. “But we are implementing some strategies in areas where aren’t quite there.
“Currently for us and also for most of the global supply chain, isolation gowns are the biggest concern.”
Mikula concluded by highlighting National Nursing Week and thanked the nurses at the hospital for their “incredible work during these unprecedented times.”