The Lakeshore General Hospital in Pointe Claire is asking people to avoid heading to its emergency room, which is currently filled beyond capacity.

"This decision is justified by the unusual number of patients that came to the emergency. The emergency will remain open but will have to prioritize people with a critical health condition," according to a news release.

The hospital did not expect the overcrowding situation in the ER to change before Tuesday evening.

In the meantime, people who do not absolutely need to be treated as emergency patients are being advised to turn to local clinics instead.

The hospital recommends contacting:

  • Statcare Clinic, in Pointe Claire - (514) 694-9282
  • Medistat Medical Clinic, in Pierrefonds - (514) 624-4774
  • Brunswick Medical Centre, in Pointe Claire - (514) 426-6677

People can also reach Info-Sante at 8-1-1 for a list of walk-in clinics.