{"id":15387,"date":"2020-11-11T14:06:03","date_gmt":"2020-11-11T19:06:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca\/?p=15387"},"modified":"2020-11-27T14:09:00","modified_gmt":"2020-11-27T19:09:00","slug":"province-announces-more-hospital-beds-in-kenora","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca\/index.php\/province-announces-more-hospital-beds-in-kenora\/","title":{"rendered":"Province announces more hospital beds in Kenora"},"content":{"rendered":"

(November 10, 2020)<\/p>\n

By: Mike Aiken, Kenora Online<\/p>\n

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Kenora-Rainy River MPP Greg Rickford announces 12 new hospital beds in Kenora. (Submitted)<\/span><\/p>\n

With the second wave of COVID-19 well underway, the province says they’re adding\u00a012 beds at Lake of the Woods District Hospital.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are very pleased to receive funding approval for up to 12 beds in the event we face a surge of COVID-19 admissions that surpasses our normal bed capacity,” says the president and CEO at Lake of the Woods District Hospital, Ray Racette.<\/p>\n

“This support enables us to fully execute our pandemic response.\u202fWe appreciate the support from the Government of Ontario and Minister\u00a0Rickford,\u201d added Racette, in a prepared statement.<\/p>\n

The province is also adding 30 more beds in Thunder Bay, and they hope the added space will\u00a0help\u00a0ease occupancy pressures and support the continuation of surgeries and procedures.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur government continues to invest in urgent health care priorities in communities across the north,\u201d said Kenora-Rainy River MPP Greg\u00a0Rickford, who is Ontario’s Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines, as well as the provincial Minister of Indigenous Affairs.<\/p>\n

The new beds announced today are in addition to the $234.5 million investment for 139 critical care beds and up to 1,349 hospital beds included in Ontario\u2019s fall preparedness plan. This brings the total investment to $351 million for more than 2,250 new beds at 57 hospitals and alternate health facilities across the province.<\/p>\n

There have been a total of 82 cases of COVID-19 reported in the Northwestern Health Unit’s catchment area as of Monday. Last month, there hadn’t been any COVID-19 patients hospitalized at the district hospital.<\/p>\n

Last December, the hospital had 74 beds listed. However, the hospital has been adjusting the use of their space, due to social distancing and public health measures.<\/p>\n

Ontario’s Opposition Leader, Andrea Horwath of the NDP, has been critical of the government’s response to the second wave. Yesterday, she cited plans to loosen restrictions last week, despite rising case counts.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn this time of a pandemic, we need the premier to be listening to experts, not attacking them,\u201d she\u00a0said in a prepared statement.<\/p>\n

“Ford\u2019s own caucus members are trying to score political points by suggesting the local medical officers of health are making the wrong calls. In a pandemic, we need cooperation and respect for the medical experts working to save lives,” Horwath continued.<\/p>\n

In Ontario, there were 1,242 new cases reported yesterday for a total of 85,395 during the pandemic.<\/p>\n

In Manitoba, there were 365 new cases yesterday, including 233 in Winnipeg.<\/p>\n

The Ontario Health Coalition has been using volunteers to help track the second wave of the coronavirus. In a report released last week on the second wave, the coalition found:<\/p>\n