Ontario eyeing military field hospitals

TORONTO — Ontario has asked for military help setting up field hospitals if COVID-19 demand overwhelms health-care resources.

The Canadian military is also being approached for strategic advice in the province-wide vaccine rollout, but there are no plans currently to send members back into longterm-care homes as occurred during the first wave of the coronavirus.

Premier Doug Ford said he spoke to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday and was offered federal assistance for Ontario's needs.

“We'll take all the help we can get; I never refuse help,” Ford said.

Ontario hospitals are reporting rising numbers of COVID-19 patients, stretching critical care resources to the limit, and public health modellers say one half of the province's hospitals have two, one or no empty ICU beds.

The Red Cross is in some long-term-care homes to shore up staffing, but Ford's office clarified that a request for military help in nursing homes is not on the table.

“The support that we have requested and are currently receiving includes military field hospitals, military logistics advisors to support the vaccine roll-out, including in long-term care, and Red Cross teams in select long-term care homes across Ontario,” a statement from Ford's office says.

Long-term care residents account for 3,063 of the total 5,127 COVID-19 deaths in the province.

Ontario reported 257 ongoing outbreaks in long-term-care homes and 164 in retirement homes Wednesday, including 16 new outbreaks over the previous 24 hours.