Saskatoon hospitals grapple with bed shortages as COVID-19 numbers rise
As the Omicron COVID-19 surge gains momentum in Saskatchewan, Saskatoon's hospitals are facing a bed crunch.
In a note to city physicians, Saskatoon Health Authority chief of staff Dr. Grant Stoneham called the current situation "very concerning."
"We have been asked to remind all physicians to please re-evaluate all currently admitted patients and discharge those who are ready to go home as to free up in-hospital beds," Stoneham wrote in the memo sent on Sunday.
"I imagine that you all do this on a daily basis, but we were asked to encourage a reassessment of bed status where possible."
A screen capture of the note was shared on Twitter Monday morning by NDP MLA Vicki Mowatt.
According to Stoneham's memo, on Sunday there were 19 admissions pending at St. Paul's Hospital and 20 at Royal University Hospital.
There were no beds available at either hospital at the time of Stoneham's message.
On Sunday there were 80 Saskatoon-area COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to the provincial government.
That's up from 53 a week prior on Jan. 9 and 31 admissions two weeks ago on Jan 2.
In an emailed statement, the Ministry of Health said Stoneham's memo was part of "a regular process" that occurs when hospital "capacity is challenged."
There were 3,329 active COVID-19 cases reported in the Saskatoon area on Sunday.
However, as the province has shifted to rapid, at-home testing as the primary method to detect coronavirus cases, many cases go unreported.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States, injuring at least three people.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.