OTTAWA -- Staff at the Ottawa Hospital are sharing their concerns about the rising number of COVID-19 patients who have been hospitalized in recent days.

In a Twitter thread, the hospital said health-care workers are "stretched thin" and while efforts are underway to expand capacity in local intensive care units, the issue is not as simple as adding more beds.

"Hospitalizations are rising steadily, as cases increase in the community. We often see a spike in hospitalizations 7-10 days after cases increase in the community. This means there is no sign of things slowing down," the hospital said.

"We have already begun implementing plans to increase ICU capacity, but space and ventilators are not the issue. Staffing is the issue. ICU nurses and staff have very specific skills that take months to develop. We cannot train new ICU staff overnight."

The number of people in Ottawa's hospitals with COVID-19 has more than doubled in the past two weeks, from 40 patients reported on April 1 to 95 on Tuesday. The number of people in ICUs went from 13 to 30 in that same time frame.

The Ottawa Hospital said that messages of encouragement for health-care workers are welcome, but the best way to help is to stop the spread of the virus.

"We need your help, Ottawa. We’ve seen your wonderful messages of thanks, encouragement and hope throughout the pandemic (and we appreciate them so much). But this is how you can help us now: follow public health guidance and the provincial stay-at-home order," the hospital said.

"Of course, essential workers need to leave the house for work. They need your help too. If you can stay home, please stay home. It keeps those who need to leave home safe, and protects the staff and patients in our hospitals."

The thread acknowledged that everyone is tired but with vaccines rolling out to more and more residents of Ottawa, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

"Let’s stay home, and reduce the spread of COVID-19, giving vaccines the opportunity to protect our community. And of course, get vaccinated as soon as you are eligible!

"We have done this before. We can do it again."