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Kaffer said Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare has already opened an additional 40 beds, and another 32 will be available for capacity overflow by the end of the week if other facilities need the help. Her hospital has also hired 63 new people.

“That capacity is available across the system,” said Kaffer.

Musyj added that after the SARS outbreak that began in 2002, health-care facilities in the region worked to ensure they had a “pandemic supply” of things such as personal protective equipment.

“So entering this pandemic we were well stocked,” he said. “Not to the point of we’re all sleeping at night, because we worry about PPE and we worry about the future. But as it stands now the team of Erie-St. Clair working together, we’ve been able to not only maintain a large extent of our pandemic supply by replenishment through various means, but also we have some irons in the fire with respect to larger pandemic supplies coming.”

But as the deadly pandemic progresses, he said it’s likely local health facilities will have to start worrying about supplies and capacity to care for people from across the province.

“What we have to talk about is not only capacity for Windsor-Essex patients but it’s the capacity for the whole system, for all of Ontario,” said Musyj. “We have to look at it as we have to create capacity for 14 million residents in Ontario to possibly come to Windsor-Essex or vice versa.”

Musyj said most residents have been doing their part to ease the burden on the healthcare system by staying home and social distancing. But “it is way too early to take our foot off the gas,” he added.

“We have to double our efforts in that regard in order to ensure we technically win this war,” said Musyj. “It’s a war and we have to. Just keep doing what you’re doing. Double your efforts.”

twilhelm@postmedia.com

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