ontario Ontario tells hospitals to activate emergency plans as number of COVID-19 patients spikes Memo from Ontario Health says the ability of hospitals to care for patients 'is being challenged' Hospitals across Ontario have been ordered to brace for a spike in COVID-19 patients. A memo from Ontario Health obtained by CBC News tells hospitals to prepare to activate emergency plans immediately. For hospitals in the grey lockdown and red control zones that means making available up to 15 per cent of their beds for COVID-19 patients. Matthew Anderson, CEO of Ontario Health, a provincial government agency, said in the memo dated Tuesday that the pandemic has entered a more critical phase with community transmission now widespread. Anderson said the ability of hospitals to care for patients with and without COVID-19 is being challenged. The memo was sent to every hospital CEO in the province. Ability to care for patients 'being challenged' The memo tells all hospitals to be ready to activate their "surge capacity plans" within 48 hours. "As we are all aware, we have entered a more critical phase of the pandemic where we are seeing widespread community transmission," Anderson said in the memo. "Our ability to care for patients (COVID and non-COVID alike) is being challenged, so we are asking hospitals to work together, even more, to ensure we can continue to have the bed capacity to care for patients safely and effectively."

uk Covid: 'Rash' Christmas rules 'will cost many lives The plan to ease Covid rules over Christmas in the UK is a "rash decision" that will "cost many lives", two leading medical journals have said. The Health Service Journal and British Medical Journal said people might see the lifting of restrictions "as permission to drop their guard". Cabinet minister Michael Gove has held talks on the issue with leaders in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. NI said scientific advisers would be consulted ahead of any decision. It comes after Labour called on ministers to hold an emergency review of the plans. Earlier, No 10 said the rules were "under constant review" but it still intended to allow families to meet up. The prime minister's spokesman said the government had been clear that people needed to "remain cautious and vigilant" during the five days of relaxed rules from 23 to 27 December. The BBC's Nick Eardley said one possible change being discussed was a limit on how far people can travel, but he stressed that no decisions had been taken. It comes as millions of people in London and parts of Hertfordshire and Essex prepare to move into England's toughest tier of coronavirus rules at 00:01 GMT on Wednesday.