2 GTA hospitals declare 'code orange' as Ontario prepares to tighten public health measures
CBC
Ontario reported at least 11,352 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and another rise in hospitalizations and ICU admissions on Tuesday — one day before new public health measures and restrictions begin across the province.
Health Minister Christine Elliott said the latest census shows there were 1,290 people hospitalized with COVID-19. That's up from 491 at the same time last week, or a 163 per cent increase.
There were also 266 patients being treated for COVID-related illnesses in intensive care units, up from 187 last Tuesday.
As Ontario recently changed its guidelines to significantly limit who qualifies for a PCR test, the case total provided by Elliott is likely a drastic undercount of the real situation. Ontario's COVID-19 Science Advisory Table estimates that roughly one in five cases are currently being confirmed by the province's testing regime.
With that caveat in mind, today's official case count includes:
During a news conference to announce sweeping measures and restrictions on Monday, Premier Doug Ford said he had seen modelling that suggests Ontario could see hundreds of thousands of new daily cases in the coming weeks.
While that modelling has not been made public, Ford's office did share a Public Health Ontario forecast that showed the sheer number of cases caused by the highly-transmissible Omicron variant threatens to overwhelm the province's health-care system.
There are already signs the ongoing Omicron wave is overburdening some hospitals.
WATCH | Nursing shortage is 'going to cost lives,' says ICU nurse:
William Osler Health System, which oversees Brampton Civic and Etobicoke General hospitals, has initiated a "code orange" as COVID patients requiring care and staffing shortages put tremendous strain on its operations.
A code orange is typically declared "when demand outpaces capacity to ensure internal and external resources are deployed efficiently," the health system said in a news release. It is the first time William Osler has issued a code orange during the pandemic.
"We're seeing levels of illness within our health-care workforce higher than we've ever seen at this stage in the pandemic," said Dr. Andrew Healey, corporate chief of emergency medicine at William Osler.
"That's markedly affecting our ability to staff various units, including the emergency departments across our sites."
Healey said moving to code orange will allow the hospitals to focus on caring for sick patients, while deferring less urgent activities.
Premier Doug Ford says his government plans to give Toronto's Billy Bishop Airport special designation that would allow the province to bypass municipal and provincial laws as it pushes to expand the runway downtown.
Jenelle Hughes says she worries every time her two older children take their car to get to Fanshawe College in London, Ont., from their home in Dutton.
Oil prices fell Monday morning after President Donald Trump said the U.S. would hold off on striking Iran’s energy infrastructure amid productive talks between the two countries.
While spring technically started late last week, Newfoundland and Labrador isn't free from winter weather just yet.
The Sudbury School Bus Consortium is suspending all school buses in Greater Sudbury as the community continues to clean up following a major storm.
Two large corporate landlords owning a combined 9,008 rental units in Halifax are reporting smaller annual increases in their average rents for 2025 than the previous year.
The Holt government has reached a deal with Ottawa on compensation for tens of millions of dollars in lost sales tax revenue from the Christmas season in 2024.
The government of Saskatchewan has announced plans to reduce the length of non-resident game bird hunting licences to combat illegal guiding.
An 87-year-old Alberta man is fighting extradition to the United Kingdom to stand trial for historical allegations of physical and sexual assault involving minors.
Eight casinos across southwest B.C. have been sold to First Nations in the last two years, with the province's gambling scene set to be reshaped as a result.
Hamilton hosts the Junos Sunday, and the musical awards show is bringing tourists, musicians, concerts and a ton of themed events to the city this week.
The multi-million-dollar deal at the heart of a high-profile fight between the Canadian government and one of the world’s biggest carmakers contains multiple clauses about the company’s footprint in Ontario, according to a copy obtained by CBC Windsor.
In recent months, Calgary police have carried out three day-long safety blitzes, parading out dozens of officers to flood an area with their increased presence — at least, temporarily.