Southern Ontario hospital temporarily closes emergency room due to COVID-19

SIMCOE, Ont. — An Ontario hospital is temporarily closing its emergency room due to COVID-19 illnesses.

Norfolk General Hospital says its emergency department will reopen Monday at 7 p.m.

The hospital announced Sunday it would reduce services and the ER would not see patients during that time.

Ambulances are being diverted to other hospital emergency departments in the area.

Hospital president Todd Stepanuik says the situation is weighing heavily on the “exhausted” emergency department workers.

It’s the latest in a series of temporary closures that have affected hospitals across the province for months as the sector contends with a worker shortage.