The president of the medical staff at the Collingwood General & Marine Hospital is urging the community to take precautions while in public in an effort to prevent a surge of COVID-19 patients at the hospital.

In an open letter to the community, Dr. Gregg Bolton said almost 10 per cent of the patients in the hospital have COVID-19, and the surge in patients “hits us at a time when all of us would normally be planning Christmas dinners, trips with friends and family, and looking forward to well deserved holiday time.

“As your physicians, we have volunteered much of our time preparing for a day like this, all the while hoping it wouldn’t come,” wrote the doctor who has worked in Collingwood since 2009, primarily in the hospital’s emergency department.

In a news release, Dec. 9, hospital officials said the 18-bed alternate health facility had been opened following the recent sudden surge. It does not care for COVID-positive patients, but for patients who require transitional care before transfer to rehabilitation, long-term care, a retirement home, or post-acute-care services.

On Dec. 8, the hospital had six confirmed cases. According to the Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit, one of those patients has since been airlifted to Mount Sinai. On Dec. 10, the health unit reported the hospital had two COVID-positive patients.

In his letter, which was circulated to local media and also , Bolton said the 74-bed hospital is “in danger of being overwhelmed, and we may not humanly be able to take care of a large influx of patients.

Bolton urged residents to follow the public health advice that’s been communicated since the beginning of the pandemic: to wear a mask while indoors in public places, to maintain physical distancing of two metres, stay within a social bubble of 10 people, and to stay home and refrain from travelling.

“What we ask of you is difficult. These asks come at a time of year when social events are the norm,” he said. “A time of year when many of us attend celebrations and a time of year when we normally enjoy fellowship with others.”

Bolton said the medical staff have stepped up throughout the pandemic, assisting in the set-up of the COVID Assessment Centre and the alternate health facility at the legion. Staff has also ensured the hospital continued to have physician coverage, and helped to set up the drive-through flu-shot clinic.

“This year, there is no better way of showing our commitment to our community by following the asks we have of you,” he wrote. “In this way, you will show that you care enough about our community to keep it safe and healthy.”

Bolton said he wrote the letter to reaffirm the public health messaging and efforts to slow the spread of the virus in the community.

“We recognize the importance of social connections, as well as the mental health and safety of our community members,” Bolton told Simcoe.com. “We are asking for the community to help each other by practicing safe behaviours.”