Quinte Health Care is urging people to commit to staying home this holiday season.
They ask residents to stay home and celebrate in person with those in their immediate household. They say that close contact at social gatherings is contributing to rising COVID-19 rates in HPE Public Health.
QHC says their hospitals are currently experiencing a higher volume of patients which they say is indirectly linked to the pandemic. They say the pandemic is delaying access to primary care, surgeries, and long term care. They also say they are also struggling to meet their staffing needs due to a shortage of healthcare workers.
Susan Rowe, Vice President at QHC, says staying home shows staff that the public values their work and are committed to keeping their hospitals running smoothly. Interm President Carol Smith says one of the nurses at QHC said something she felt she should repeat: “A Zoom Christmas is better than an ICU New Year.”
