Montfort Hospital postponing non-emergency procedures due to COVID-19 cases

The Montfort Hospital sign is seen in this undated photo.

The Montfort Hospital is postponing some "non-emergent and non-urgent" procedures next week due to a rise in staff members testing positive for COVID-19 or in isolation.

On Thursday, 89 staff members at the hospital in Ottawa's east end were in isolation because of COVID-19.

"As you can imagine, this makes the work of our teams very difficult," the Montfort Hospital said in a statement.

"Due to the rapid increase in cases of COVID-19, we have to postpone some non-emergent and non-urgent activities, starting Tuesday, April 19, and until further notice."

The Montfort Hospital says staff are currently reviewing procedures on a "case-by-case basis" to see what can go ahead and what needs to be postponed.

"Our goal remains to continue to provide essential care and services that are safe and of the highest quality."

Staff say patients whose appointments will be rescheduled will be contacted by telephone, either by their doctor or by a member of the Montfort team.

Several Ottawa hospitals have reported a rise in staff absences due to COVID-19.

CHEO said on Wednesday on any given day they could be missing 10 to 15 per cent of their 1,200-member workforce.

The Ottawa Hospital bargaining president of the Ontario Nurses Association says there were 450 staff off at the Ottawa Hospital on Wednesday and another 25 at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute.

"We were already in a staffing crisis. This is just exaggerating it," registered nurse Rachel Muir said. "If it continues, we are then going to have to once again cancel surgeries and go back to doing the emergency and urgent cases while the elective and non-urgent cases...are again going to be put on the waitlist."

With files from CTV News Ottawa's Dylan Dyson and Natalie Van Rooy