COVID-19 is pushing Quebec hospitals to highest alert level. Here's what that means

For the first time since the start of the pandemic, there are more than 2,000 people with COVID-19 in Quebec hospitals, which are having to delay or cancel medical services in nearly all departments.

With 20,000 workers off the job due to the virus, more and more hospitals in the province are becoming overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients. 

The province is now closing some emergency rooms, delaying surgeries and closing several hospital's urgent care departments, such as cardiology and trauma centres, and having patients redirected elsewhere.

Those are the kinds of decisions health boards make after they declare a Level-4 alert — the highest in the province's COVID-19 contingency plan. 

So far, four regional health boards have declared a Level 4 and at least one more region is expected to do so next week, according to Quebec's Health Ministry. 

So, what does it mean? And what happens after that? 

Most of the province remains in a Level-3 alert, meaning up to half of non-urgent surgeries are being delayed. Thursday, the Health Ministry sent letters to the heads of the province's regional health boards, urging them to delay between 20 and 50 per cent of non-urgent surgeries.

But for those who are now at a Level 4, up to 80 per cent of surgeries could be delayed, including non-urgent and even semi-urgent procedures in nearly all medical-care departments.

Hospitals in the Eastern Townships, the Mauricie and Montérégie-Est have already reached the highest alert level.

Much of the rest of the province, including Montreal, Laval, the Laurentians and the Quebec City region have reached and surpassed the third level.

At Level 4, small, medium-sized and some large emergency rooms can close. People who show up at emergency rooms with issues that are determined to be non-urgent may be referred to a no-appointment clinic.

Paramedics may be required to lend a hand on their arrival at the hospital with a patient, whom they would continue to follow in support of nurses.

Semi-urgent cancer treatments could be postponed. Cardiology departments and trauma centres could be closed in some hospitals, with patients redirected to other regions.

Some births may be transferred to other locations as well.