More than 200 staff members at Windsor Regional Hospital off work due to COVID-19 or isolation

More than 200staff members at Windsor Regional Hospital are currently off work due to COVID-19 as cases continue to climb and patients burden health-care systems across the province.

On Monday, Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH) CEO David Musyj said the hospital has around 4,800 employees, meaning that about one in 24 are off as they are either a close contact of a confirmed COVID-19 case, have COVID-like symptoms but tested negative or tested positive for the disease.

"That's a concern we have to continually monitor and then work with the staff and make sure they're OK," Musyj said.

Of the 221 staff who are off work, the hospital said 91 have tested positive.

All of this is happening as COVID-19 cases continue to surge, with the province reporting13,578cases Monday despite new rules limiting who can get a test.

In Quebec, the provincial government created a policylast week to allow health-care workers who are positive andasymptomatic or who have been in close contact with a case to return to work under certain criteria.

When asked whether this could be an option locally, Musyj said there's a protocol in place, but "we hope we never get there."

At this point, he said they're looking at those staff members who are a close contact, but remain negative.

He said the worker would still have to be "cleared" to return to work.

Meanwhile, at Erie Shores HealthCare, the hospital said there are 45 staff isolating 13 of which have tested positive. The hospital said in total it has 550 staff and physicians.

As for Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, there are 25 staff members isolating and 14 of those have tested positive.