Some Ontario emergency rooms closing due to staff shortages

Staff shortages are prompting some hospitals in Ontario to temporarily close their emergency rooms.

A hospital in Clinton temporarily closed its emergency department Saturday through Monday due to physician and nursing shortages.

A Kingston hospital reduced its urgent care centre hours over the weekend to consolidate its ER staff.

An outbreak of COVID-19 has closed the emergency room from Saturday to Thursday at the Perth location of the Perth and Smith Falls District Hospital.

Dr. Alan Drummond, an emergency physician at the Perth facility, says the number of E-R nurses dropped in recent months from around 15 to five.

He says the ER was forced to close after two nurses contracted COVID.