Niagara Health says it is temporarily shutting down its Fort Erie Urgent Care Centre due to staffing shortages.

The healthcare provider says the closure will be effective as of 11 p.m. on Thursday and will allow emergency-trained physicians and nurses to be redeployed to other emergency departments “where they are most needed.”

“Temporarily closing the Fort Erie Urgent Care Centre was a decision that was not taken lightly,” says Bunny Alexander, Chair of the Niagara Health Board of Directors in a statement. “The Board of Directors and Senior Leadership agreed that we need to take this step to address staffing shortages and maintain essential services for the high volumes of patients in our community needing emergency care. Other hospitals throughout the province have taken similar measures throughout the pandemic.”

The decision is part of a larger plan to temporarily prioritize care for patients who need critical, emergency and acute care services due to COVID-19.

Niagara Health says the Omicron variant is having an escalating impact on patient volumes and staffing levels.

Since Dec. 21, 146 staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 and 354 are currently self-isolating.

“This wave of the pandemic is beyond anything we have experienced. We have exhausted all options, and the temporary closure of the Urgent Care Centre is a measure of last resort,” says Lynn Guerriero, Niagara Health President and CEO in a statement. “Our healthcare teams continue to provide care to our patients with professionalism and compassion. Our Urgent Care team members have a unique set of skills that are urgently needed in our Emergency Departments, and we are grateful for their commitment to Niagara.”

Niagara Health says its three emergency departments in Niagara Falls, St. Catharines, and Welland continue to be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and see an average of 400 patients each day.