Long term care bed / Stock photo
TORONTO, Ont. - The provincial government is implementing a temporary emergency order granting doctors the ability to transfer patients no longer requiring hospital care to long-term care or retirement homes without their consent in an effort to free space for COVID-19 patients.
Minister of Health Christine Elliott made the announcement on Wednesday as the province continues to struggle through a third wave of COVID-19 resulting in a record number of hospitalizations and intensive care unit admissions.
“The spread of COVID-19 variants continues to pose a significant threat to our health system’s critical care capacity and the lives of Ontarians,” Elliott said.