ST. JOHN'S, N.L. -- The Newfoundland and Labrador government is sending nine health-care workers to Ontario to help the province deal with a third wave of COVID-19 that is threatening to overwhelm hospitals.
Premier Andrew Furey says the health-care professionals include three doctors, a nurse practitioner and five nurses.
They are scheduled to arrive in Ontario Tuesday and will be deployed in downtown Toronto.
Furey has said the health-care workers headed to Ontario are volunteers drawn from areas of Newfoundland and Labrador where there are adequate staffing levels.
Ontario reported 3,510 new cases of COVID-19 today and 24 more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus.
Health Minister Christine Elliott says there are 1,015 new cases in Toronto, 909 in Peel Region, and 391 in York Region.
Ontario's Health Department reported there were 2,271 people in hospital with COVID-19 on the weekend, but that number was expected to rise as some hospitals did not provide new numbers.
There were 877 people in intensive care, and 605 them were using ventilators to breathe.
On Saturday, Peel Region announced its first two workplace closures under new rules meant to curb the spread of COVID-19. It partially closed two Amazon fulfilment centres -- one in Brampton and one in Bolton, Ont.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 26, 2021.
