THUNDER BAY — Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre is further curtailing the measures it has implemented internally to deal with COVID-19.
As of Monday, the hospital's pandemic response level is reduced from Orange (Restrict) to Yellow (Protect).
TBRHSC says the decision is based on the decreasing incidence of COVID in the city and region.
It also pointed to an ongoing decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases in the hospital over the past few weeks.
"Upon changing response levels, a fulsome review of all actions is considered to determine which activities need to remain in order to maintain a safe environment," the hospital said in a statement.
Despite the stepped-down response, masking and entrance screening guidelines remain in place at TBRHSC.
There is no change to the safety measures required for Essential Care Partners.
ECPs must continue to complete the screening process, wear a mask at all times, go directly to the room of the patient they are visiting, remain in that room for the entirety of the visit, refrain from eating or drinking anywhere in the hospital, and wash or sanitize their hands frequently.
TBRHSC said it currently has 24 admitted patients who are COVID-19 positive, including three in the ICU.
The hospital's current medical/surgical bed occupancy is 99.6 per cent, while ICU occupancy stands at just over 86 per cent.
About a month ago, TBRHSC reduced its internal COVID response measures from Red (Control) to Orange.
A spokesperson for Ontario's science advisory table has issued a caution about emerging signs that indicate the start of a new wave of COVID-19 in the province this summer.
According to the Toronto Star, Dr. Fahad Razak cites rising evidence of COVID in municipal wastewater across the province, a growth in test positivity, and an increase in cases reported by various public health units.
The new strain of the Omicron variant is said to be particularly adept at evading immunity in people who have been vaccinated or previously infected by the virus.
Razak has suggested though, that on the basis of evidence gathered around the world, the new wave should be less severe and result in less pressure on the health-care system than previous waves have caused.
