If there is another wave of COVID-19, the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) says they are ready for it.
Officials have not declared a sixth wave of the virus, but it might be coming with hospitalizations, test positivity rates and wastewater signals all on the rise.
The Internal Pandemic Response level is at Red (Control) level, and spokesperson Marcello Bernardo told Acadia News Wednesday that all response activities are evaluated daily by the Incident Management Team and leaders across the organization.
“Masking, along with entrance screening, is still required to enter TBRHSC and all satellite buildings,” Bernardo added. “In addition to wearing a mask at all times and entrance screening, Essential Care Partners who are visiting patients at TBRHSC are also required to go directly to the patient’s room they are visiting, stay in the patient’s room for the entire duration of their visit and then exit the building. (They are also) not allowed to eat or drink while they are at TBRHSC, including in patient rooms, wash their hands or use hand sanitizer frequently. These safety measures will be in place for the foreseeable future to protect our patients, staff and visitors.”
As of Wednesday, TBRHSC is treating 19 positive COVID-19 patients with eight in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).