Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with clarification from Kingston Health Sciences Centre about still treating out-of-region patients who have since recovered from COVID-19.
For the first time since March 1, Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) says there are no COVID-19-positive patients from outside the region being treated at Kingston hospitals.
Over the course of the last several months, patients from outside the region have been transferred to KHSC hospitals to help offset the pressure from hot spots, specifically from the Scarborough area.
But on Thursday, KHSC’s COVID-19 dashboard says it is treating four COVID-19 patients, all of whom are from within the region. Of those four local patients, two are being treated in intensive care units.
KHSC clarified Thursday that they are still caring for some out-of-region patients who were transferred to Kingston for COVID-19 complications, but all those recovering at Kingston hospitals have since tested negative for the disease.
Kingston hospitals have treated 142 COVID-19 patients from out-of-region so far.
Thursday, the province reported just over 1,100 new COVID-19 cases.
Ontario reported 1,072 people are hospitalized with COVID-19 with 650 patients in intensive care units and 452 patients in ICUs on a ventilator. Overall, hospitalizations have been on the decline since the third wave peak in April.
— With files from Global News’ Gabby Rodrigues