WINDSOR, ONT. -- The four hospitals that make up the Erie St. Clair region have been asked to take on 14 patient transfers as well as ICU patients “as demand increases.”

A memo from Windsor Regional Hospital CEO David Musyj says at this stage, Bluewater, Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, Erie Shores Healthcare and Windsor Regional Hospital have been asked to collectively take two “ward/medical” patients a day and independently ICU patients.

“Meaning 14 total ward/medical patients divided up between the 4 hospitals per week plus ICU patients,” the memo states.

To date, WRH has taken five total patients including two ward/medical patients last week and three ICU patients last week through to Monday, the hospital says.

Bluewater and Chatham-Kent Health Alliance accepted two ward/medical patients Monday.

The hospital says an internal memo released in London that claimed Windsor would be getting 60 out of town patients in a week is “not accurate,” but the current numbers are not set in stone.

“This could all change,” the WRH memo says. “Meaning these numbers we are being asked to take from outside the region could increase depending on what is happening provincially and also even locally."

The hospital notes its beds are “provincial beds” and WRH has an obligation to “help all Ontarians get through this pandemic.”