Officials with St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital have described the situation as "dire" as the number of patients requiring critical care nears early-pandemic levels.
"We have reached our capacity to care for critically ill patients, and our hospital is operating above capacity – both of which are the direct result of COVID-19," said Chief of Staff Dr. Waleed Chehadi. "COVID -19 admissions have risen significantly for the week and are expected to continue to rise over the next several weeks."
Chehadi said patients will likely need to be transferred to other hospitals in the region to receive care.
"This is particularly hard for me to see as a clinician since all of these infections could have been prevented had the individuals been vaccinated," Chehadi said.
The hospital said residents can help ease the situation by seeking medical care early at a primary care specialist's office, walk-in clinic or Ontario Telehealth if they are experiencing flu-like symptoms.
If the number of cases continues to worsen, additional public health measures may be required, warned the region's medical officer of health.
"One of the indicators we use, when considering further public health measures, is hospital capacity. Our hospital partners are telling us their beds are full. If you are not yet vaccinated against COVID-19, this is your rallying cry," said Dr. Joyce Lock of Southwestern Public Health.
According to the health unit, there are 154 active cases of COVID-19 in the Elgin and Oxford regions, making the area have one of the highest rates of cases per 100,000 people in the province.
"Sixty-four per cent of these cases are in individuals under the age of 40. Most are unvaccinated. Get vaccinated for your own health, for the safety of our workplaces and schools, and to relieve the pressure on the hospital system we all rely on," Lock said.
Southwestern Public Health reported 58 new COVID-19 cases on Friday. The report covers two days, as the health unit was closed on Remembrance Day.