ICU patients from Toronto being transferred outside the region

Ontario’s air ambulance service says transfers of intensive care unit patients have been significantly higher over the last two weeks.

Ornge has helped transfer COVID-19 patients from overrun ICUs to other hospitals with space.

It says there have been 188 patients transferred between ICUs since Dec. 1, with the pace quickening in January.

Ornge critical care paramedic Andrew Burns says he has done mostly transfers of COVID-19 patients since the pandemic began last year.

He says in the early days they were bringing COVID-positive patients to Toronto ICUs.

Now they are taking COVID-patients from ICUs in Toronto and the surrounding areas to hospitals outside the region.