Windsor Regional Hospital will start treating COVID-19 patients at the field hospital at St. Clair College on Saturday.
The first patients to be moved in are residents of the long-term care facility Heron Terrace who have tested positive for the virus.
"What we've been seeing is an increase of patients in our long term care facilities of COVID-19 and we really wanted to do something on an urgent basis to really give some support to our long-term care facilities that are struggling with the volume of cases, as well as health care workers being off sick and unable to work," said Karen Riddell, vice president of critical care at Windsor Regional Hospital.
The Sportsplex will be staffed by Windsor Regional Hospital employees in the same way an in-patient unit at the hospital would be staffed. There is also a temporary lab and pharmacy on-site.
“Our commitment is to providing the same outstanding care to individuals at the Sportsplex as they would receive at either the Met or Ouellette Campus,” said David Musyj, CEO of Windsor Regional Hospital.
The field hospital has 100 beds available. Staff will ramp up the use of the facility starting with patients from Heron Terrace and then move on to other long-term care facilities facing an outbreak.
Visitors will not be allowed at the facility, however, residents will be encouraged to stay in touch with loved ones using tablets.
