The CEO of the Northern Health Region says the authority is making sure that people who are ill stay home.

Helga Bryant adds they are screening every person at the beginning of every shift to ensure the safety of staff, patients, hospitals and other sites from COVID-19.

Bryant explains that in turn creates challenges for them in terms of being able to maintain their baseline staffing so they have reduced some services that can safely be postponed until they are through the pandemic.

She says that way they can focus on the folks that need to be in hospital and are in need of acute care, and there may be more service reductions as they navigate through this.

Bryant also praised staff, physicians and volunteers for their hard work and the community for their co-operation during this COVID-19 pandemic.