Sask. COVID-19 'onslaught' forces some hospitals to close ERs

SASKATOON -

Hospitalizations and admissions to ICU due to COVID-19 have nearly tripled over the last month, according to the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA).

More than 300 people are in hospital with the disease – a record high – including more than 60 COVID-19 ICU patients.

“As COVID cases continue to increase, teams are working hard to move staff to where we anticipate the surge to be in the coming days and weeks. This means some communities are going to see disruptions to their hospital services, including temporary emergency department closures,” Derek Miller, the SHA Emergency Operations Centre commander, said in a news release.

“We have already seen facilities experience these disruptions, and we appreciate all those involved for supporting our provincial response to deal with this onslaught.”

Adult admissions into the pediatric intensive care will continue, as that department continues to provide care for COVID critical care patients under the age of 11.

Unvaccinated people are six times more likely to test positive for COVID-19 than a fully vaccinated person and five times more likely to be hospitalized, the SHA says.

Those who are vaccinated in the ICU are typically older people with other pre-existing health complications. Unvaccinated patients in ICU appear to only have their vaccination status as the common denominator, the SHA says.

The SHA says it is doubling its vaccine clinic capacity over the month of October to support a blend of bookable, outreach, and walk in vaccine clinics.

“I cannot stress how critical it is that if you are eligible to get vaccinated, you must do so to protect young children in your household,” Dr. Johnmark Opondo, SHA’s Medical Health Officer and Offensive Chief for Public Health, said in the release.

“We are seeing more children getting sick with COVID in households where adults and other caregivers remain unvaccinated, and they are getting COVID at home. In the last few weeks, one in five cases in children in Saskatchewan reported were under the age of 12. We must take responsibility and create a needed circle of protection for our children who do not yet have access to a vaccine.”

The SHA says it has now opened 30 additional ICU surge beds across the province, up from last week’s 24, with plans to surge up to care for 125 ICU beds for COVID-19 patients while maintaining care up to 50 for non-COVID-19 ICU patients.

It is also preparing to care for up to 350 COVID non-ICU patients through Saskatchewan hospitals.

In the release, the SHA noted several ways health care is being affected:

• Service slowdowns including elective surgeries as surgical staff care for growing COVID hospital and ICU cases
• A 32 per cent increase in overall wait times affecting 33,078 people since March 22, 2020 until September 26, 2021.
• Patient transfers are expected to increase in the coming days to level load care across Saskatchewan hospitals. Patients whose care needs can be met in lower acuity hospitals will be transferred – but not necessarily to the hospital closest to home or at their preferred location.
• Acute care facilities and long-term care homes are experiencing increased restrictions based on current local COVID-19 risk of transmission.

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