Officials at the Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital (PSFDH) announced on June 30 that a COVID-19 outbreak coupled with a staff shortage in the emergency department at the Perth site will force it to close for the next five days.
The Perth hospital will close effective Saturday, July 2 until Thursday, July 7.
"In spite of our best efforts to preserve care in the Perth Emergency Department, COVID-19 has placed yet another burden on our fragile staffing situation," a statement on the PSFDH website said. "This left the PSFDH team with no other option but to close the Perth emergency department."
Residents can continue to access emergency care at the Smiths Falls site located at 60 Cornelia Street West or the closest alternate emergency department.
"Available staff from the Perth emergency department will move to the Smiths Falls site emergency department to support the anticipated increase in patients," the statement said. "As our staffing situation stabilizes, we will gradually reopen the Perth emergency department. Upon reopening, the Perth emergency department will open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m."
The Smiths Falls site emergency department continues to be open 24 hrs a day, seven days per week as the reduction to emergency department hours impacts only the Perth emergency department.
