No foreign trained nurses currently needed at hospital, staffing levels ‘stable’

Though Sault Area Hospital medical staff are on the front lines in the battle against COVID-19, SAH is not one of the hospitals identified for the deployment of foreign trained nurses to assist in that fight.

“Our admissions and staffing levels are stable at this time,” said Brandy Sharp Young, SAH spokesperson in an email Thursday.

Ontario Health announced Tuesday that approximately 300 foreign trained nurses are being deployed to 50 hospitals across the province to care for patients.

They are among 6,000 extra health care workers the province is bringing in to assist in the battle against COVID by the end of March, as announced by Health Minister Christine Elliott earlier this week.

As far as current SAH numbers are concerned, Sharp Young said, as of Thursday, “we have a total of six COVID-19 patients in hospital with two patients in the ICU. SAH currently has 53 hospital workers positive with COVID-19 symptoms.”