WINDSOR, ONT. -- Patients at the Windsor Regional Field Hospital will still be able to connect with loved ones despite visitor restrictions due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic.

Those staying at the field hospital on the main campus at St. Clair College will be provided with iPads and connectivity to ensure they remain connected to friends and family.

“Social isolation during hospitalization should not be an accepted cost of the current COVID-19 distancing regulations," a news release from the Windsor Port Authority states. “The cost to the mental health of patients and their families, is unnecessary, and avoidable.”

The 55 iPad units were donated by Sterling Fuels, the Windsor Port Authority, and Stephanie and Barry Zekelman through Transition to Betterness. MNSi has also provided streaming services at no cost to every patient at the St. Clair Campus site.

"iPads serve two purposes for patients, entertainment and provide an opportunity to communicate with family members through Facetime and other applications,” Gisèle Séguin, director philanthropy for Windsor Regional Hospital Foundation said.

The iPads will be reintegrated for similar patient use once the field hospital is no longer necessary.