Hamilton Health Sciences along with St. Joseph's Healthcare spent the weekend trying to find creative ways to maintain staffing levels after a combined 250 health care workers are off the job and in self isolation after returning from March Break vacations.
In an effort to prevent staff shortages, the province gave hospital's wide spread powers over the weekend to cancel and postpone services to free up staff and rooms.
Hospitals are allowed to redeploy staff, change shifts, cancel vacations and leaves , hire temporary workers and use volunteers outside of union contracts
The province is also allowing some daycare centres to stay open to accomodate the children of health care workers.