Thunder Bay hospital reopens its COVID-19 unit

The Thunder Bay regional hospital has reopened its dedicated COVID-19 unit, after 10people with confirmed cases of the virus were hospitalized.

Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre officials announced the 13-bed unit opened on Monday.

The hospital had previously operated a COVID-19 unit during the first wave of the pandemic, but it was closed last year due to a low number of hospitalized cases. Hospital officials had previously said that six admitted patients was their threshold for reopening the unit.

The 10 patients nowin the hospital includes three in the intensive care unit.

Hospital officials said the unit will protect patients and staff when there are more COVID-19 positive patients than available isolation spaces.