OTTAWA, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Friday that his government will build two mobile hospitals in the Greater Toronto Area for COVID-19 patients.
Trudeau told a news conference in Ottawa that the mobile hospitals will provide up to 200 additional beds, effectively freeing up space in some of the region's hardest-hit hospitals for those who need ICU care.
"The increase in cases this month has put a real strain on hospitals and for Ontario in particular the situation is extremely serious," he said. "When we spoke last week I told (Ontario) Premier (Doug) Ford that we would be there to support Ontario with any assistance they need. Keeping you and your families safe is our top priority."
The two hospitals will be set up in the area "as rapidly as possible" and will remain in the region until May 1 this year.
The hospitals will "facilitate the transfer of non-critical care patients out of critical care to ensure those specialized resources are available for those who need it most."
There were more than 400 COVID-19 patients in critical care in Ontario hospitals as of Jan. 18, according to CTV on Friday.
As of Friday afternoon, Canada reported a total of 735,950 COVID-19 cases and 18,799 deaths, according to CTV. Enditem
