by The provincial Health Authority says many elective and same-day surgeries will be put on hold until at least the end of next week in the Central Zone that includes Halifax.
The same move is being made in the Northern Zone as the Health Authority deals with a high demand for service and staffing challenges that’ve been made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic.
It says the move is needed to open up hospital beds and allow for continued emergency care.
Cancer and other time-sensitive surgeries that can’t be delayed will continue.
The authority also says it expects people will continue to see longer than normal wait times in emergency departments into the fall.
However, it notes emergency departments at regional hospitals and the QEII in Halifax are always open and people should not hesitate to visit an emergency department if they need to.