‘We have reached a tipping point:’ York hospitals concerned with COVID-19-related volume on the rise

Three hospitals in the COVID-19 hotspot of York Region are out with a dire warning on Tuesday, saying the rapidly rising number of patients has placed its healthcare system at a tipping point.

The CEOs of Mackenzie Health, Markham Stouffville Hospital, and Southlake Regional Health Centre said in a joint letter their hospitals have been quickly filling with COVID-19 patients over the last week, overwhelming an already strained system.

They worry how a relentless climb in infections will impact patient care across their communities, including more surgeries being cancelled as a direct result.

“We are counting on our communities to help keep our staff, physicians, and volunteers safe so they can continue to care for everyone who relies on us for care, for COVID-related illness as well as non-COVID-related illnesses and emergencies,” the statement reads.

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“While we have seen strong collaboration amongst health care organizations across York Region to help prepare for and manage the second wave of COVID-19 thus far, what we need now more than ever is support from our communities to be vigilant in following Public Health guidance aimed at slowing the spread.”

The hospitals say Vaughan, Markham, and Newmarket must do better, adding that now more than ever, people need to remain vigilant in the fight against COVID-19 and follow public health guidance aimed at slowing the spread of the virus.

“We are asking that you always wear a mask in public and when you cannot physically distance, and avoid social gatherings. We know that the greatest potential for this virus to spread is when people interact in groups of any size so, in order to slow the spread, we must avoid these interactions,” they said.

It was recently reported that York Regions’ recent infection rate is actually higher than the City of Toronto’s was when it entered lockdown on Nov. 23. Though that region’s chief medical officer, Dr. Karim Kurji, has maintained he doesn’t believe further restrictions would have the desired effect.

In the province’s latest weekly COVID-19 epidemiology report (Nov. 22 to Nov. 28), York Region saw an increase of 1,005 new COVID-19 cases to 1,115 – behind only Toronto and Peel for the highest amount of reported infections.

“We recognize that avoiding social gatherings, especially during the holidays, is a personal sacrifice but we need to do whatever we can to help protect our entire community and maintain access to our health care services,” the hospitals noted.

“…It has meant the world to our health care workers – we are all in this together.”