WINNIPEG -- Elective surgeries in Manitoba may be postponed once again if COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to climb.

Lanette Siragusa, Shared Health’s chief nursing officer, said these cancellations could happen soon if the province stays on its current hospitalization trajectory,

“If we continue to get large numbers of patients coming into the hospital it could be days,” she said.

“If we can slow it down a little bit it could be weeks or months even.”

As of Tuesday, there are 83 people in hospital with COVID-19, including 15 in intensive care.

Siragusa added public health officials are assessing the situation every day, and are doing what they can so that health services don’t have to be slowed down.

Siragusa noted that if it is necessary to suspend elective surgeries, it would likely be localized as opposed to a sweeping, province-wide cancellation.