THUNDER BAY – Less urgent medical procedures that were allowed to resume by the provincial government Thursday are expected to ramp back up more slowly in Thunder Bay than elsewhere in Ontario.
In a statement Friday, the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre said that’s because the city lags behind encouraging trends occurring at the provincial level.
“Provincially, while COVID-19 case incidence and hospitalizations show steady decline, trending in the Northwest has not declined and as such requires that TBRHSC enter Phase 2 of the restart more cautiously,” it stated.
The hospital will take a “gradual, cautious and balanced approach” as it works to achieve the provincial phase 2 target of resuming 70 per cent of previous surgical and procedural activity, it said.
There were 47 people in hospital with COVID-19 on Friday. After hitting a peak of 59 on Feb. 1, that figure has remained below 50 throughout this week.
The hospital reported its medical/surgical occupancy at 101.9 per cent Friday, and its ICU capacity at 90.9 per cent.
