Data shows Saskatchewan a few intensive care patients away from triage protocol

REGINA -

Saskatchewan is a few intensive care patients away from having to activate its triage protocol, which means doctors in the province could soon have to decide who can and cannot get care in intensive care units.

Data from the Saskatchewan Health Authority shows there were 114 people in ICUs across the province yesterday afternoon and 79 of those patients had COVID-19.

The ICU numbers change throughout the day, but the province was just two patients away from having to activate its "red zone," which is triggered when there are 116 people in intensive care.

John Ash, executive director of the Saskatchewan Health Authority, said last week that additional nurses would need to be brought in, more surgeries would have to be cancelled and ICU patients would need to be transferred out of province when the red zone is triggered.

Saskatchewan has already stopped all elective surgeries, started cancelling urgent surgeries and admitted adults into its children's hospital.

Hospital data shows the province was also about five ICU patients away from having a 150 per cent surge capacity in its ICUs -- a number that would trigger the province to activate its triage protocol.

The province is expected to provide more information during a COVID-19 briefing later today.