Hamilton Health Sciences now has more than 150 staff self-isolating after returning from international travel.

St. Joseph's says more than 100 of its workers went abroad for spring break.

"It's something we've been grappling with, the two organizations together, as to what to do about the self-isolation of staff returning from international travel," Dr. Michael Stacey, chief medical executive at HHS, said Thursday at a media briefing.

Hospitals were given broad powers by the provincial government Saturday night to cancel and postpone services to free up space and staff during the COVID-19 crisis.

The temporary order also allows hospitals to redeploy staff, change shifts, cancel vacations and leaves, hire temporary workers and use volunteers outside of union contracts.

In addition, some child care centres will be exempted from an earlier order to close so that essential staff can work.

"We know that we are in a crisis and remain committed to caring for patients," Vicki McKenna, president of the Ontario Nurses' Association, said in a statement Sunday. "If not done carefully and thoughtfully, any redeployment of nurses and health-care professionals could put both patients and front-line nurses at risk."

Originally, Hamilton's hospitals, along with many others in the province, were telling staff to immediately come back to work after international travel as long as they didn't have symptoms despite the federal government saying March 13 that returning travellers should self-isolate for 14 days.

"If you have half the workforce, you are already beat," Dr. David Russell, interim chief of staff at St. Joseph's Healthcare, told The Spectator March 14.

But the province made it clear March 18 that health-care workers were no longer exempt from self-isolation so the hospitals followed suit.

"We do have unique and very uncommon situations where there is a distinct shortage of a particular skill set," said Stacey. "If we have a staff member who is asymptomatic in self-isolation whose skill set is critical to treat our patients, there is a possibility of them being asked to come back but wearing a mask the entire time they are in the organization."

Some Canadians returning from the United States after March 13 were told only to monitor for symptoms of COVID-19. Now those crossing the border are instructed to self-isolate for 14 days.

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