Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) is currently treating two COVID-19 patients in its intensive care unit (ICU) while three staff members who earlier tested positive continue to self-isolate at home.
During a media briefing held Tuesday morning (April 14), Dr. Lynn Mikula, the hospital’s vice-president, chief medical executive and chief of staff, noted she is cautiously encouraged that the hospital “has not seen a surge” in positive COVID-19 cases.
“There is a little bit of promising evidence that we may be seeing a little bit of the flattening of the curve … a slowing of the rate of the number of positive cases per day both provincially and in the region,” Dr. Mikula said.
“But I think it’s too early to say if things are going to get better or worse or stay the same,” she added. “We need to continue to watch the situation very closely and hold ourselves in readiness. At this point I don’t feel we’re prepared to make predictions.”
Previously, the hospital had been treating three COVID-19 patients in the ICU, but one patient died on Sunday (April 12) from complications of the disease — the first COVID-19 related death in the Peterborough area. Facebook posts on Sunday afternoon identified the patient as 68-year-old Peterborough photographer and retired psychologist Dr. George Dimitroff.
As of Tuesday morning, Peterborough Public Health reported a total of 53 positive COVID-19 cases in Peterborough city and county, Curve Lake, and Hiawatha. However, 268 test results are pending.
Across the province, the total number of positive cases stands at 7,470 with 3,357 of those resolved and 291 deaths linked to COVID-19. Just more than 108,000 people have been tested with results awaited on 1,534 tests.
Dr. Mikula also updated the operation of the COVID-19 Assessment Centre at PRHC, noting, to date, more than 1,000 people have been tested at that location with the daily average of people tested in the 20 to 40 range.
She stressed that anyone who is having symptoms can be tested there but must phone ahead for an appointment. The number to call is 705-876-5086 and the centre is open seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
PRHC, adds Dr. Mikula, has “a lot of capacity” should there be a surge of COVID-19 patients.
“We are prepared to increase beyond our usual capacity quite significantly if we need to,” she said.
“We’re not putting an absolute upper limit on the number of people we will care for. We’ll care for however many people we need to, to the utmost of our ability.”
“We’re watching our levels of many different items of PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) very closely on a daily basis. We’re not in immediate danger of running out of anything.”
Dr. Mikula adds the 1,000 Mask Challenge issued earlier has so far seen more than 5,000 masks made by the community sent the hospital’s way.
