Ontario Health Minister and Deputy Premier Christine Elliott announced Wednesday the amendment of an emergency order that will allow hospitals to transfer patients to long-term care or retirement homes to make room for COVID-19 patients in need of urgent care. She stressed this would only be done in most urgent situations and hospitals will make every effort to ensure patients and their families consent to their transfer – though Elliot later noted in response to a reporter question that in some “extremely rare” situations, a transfer may need to take place without the patients’ or the patient’s family consenting.
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