The director of an association representing Ontario laboratory workers says its members are working long hours and are being asked to cancel vacation plans to handle a large spike in COVID-19 testing.
Michelle Hoad, executive director of the Ontario Medical Laboratory Professionals Association, says 70 percent of the province’s laboratories were already understaffed when the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
Since then, Hoad says that many laboratory professionals have chosen to retire early or leave their professions entirely due to the pressures they have faced during the pandemic.
Hoad says he has left the remaining laboratory assistants and medical laboratory technologists working “beyond what is humanly possible” to ensure that COVID-19 and other diagnostic tests are completed in a timely manner.
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She says the recent spike in testing as the Omicron variant spawns a spike in cases causing lab professionals to work more overtime and report burnout.
The province’s top doctor said Tuesday that Ontario is preparing to shift its focus from COVID-19 testing and contact tracing as the Omicron variant depletes resources, warning residents they could face long waits. for the tests.
Ottawa Public Health this week asked residents who have symptoms but cannot access timely testing to assume they are infected and self-isolate.
Ontario reported 4,383 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday, based on 55,381 tests that were processed by labs across the province.
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