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Before Birkas Kohanim, the Levi'im wash the Kohanim's hands. In many communities, this occurs during the chazzan's repitition of Shemoneh Esrei, and in a room outside the main shul.
Normally, there need to be nine people paying attention to the chazzan's repetition. What if, during the hand-washing, less than ten people remain in the shul? Should the chazzan pause until they come back?
In a Shul that I Davened there was such an issue and the Kohanim would go out prior to the beginning of the Chazaras Hashatz and have their hands washed and Chazaras Hashatz began when they came back into the Shul.
I was once in a different community where they installed a sink in the back of the Bais Medrash as they had this problem too.
From Din.org - page 3 I see another idea what can be done in such a situation:
If the majority of the Minyan stays in the Shul and they leave the door of the Shul open in a way that the Kohanim and Leviyim can still see the ones remaining in the Shul that would still be considered a Minyan (Orach Chaim 55:14 Biur Halacha).
You asked:
What if, during the hand-washing, less than ten people remain in the shul? Should the chazzan pause until they come back?
The answer is: The Chazzan continues as usual.
Source: The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch in 15:10 gives the rules what to do when the Minyan disappears:
אִם אֵין בְּבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת רַק מִנְיָן מְצֻמְצָם, אָסוּר לְכָל אֶחָד מֵהֵם לָצֵאת, וְעַל הַיּוֹצֵא נֶאֱמָר וְעוֹזְבֵי ה' יִכְלוּ. אֲבָל אִם יִשָּׁאֲרוּ עֲשָׂרָה, יְכוֹלִים הַיְתֵרִים לָצֵאת, אִם כְּבָר שָׁמְעוּ בָּרְכוּ, וּקְדֻשָּׁה וְהַקַּדִּישִׁים עַד לְאַחַר עָלֵינוּ.
Intro: You really shouldn't walk out. (Not an option in our case.)
וּבְדִיעֲבַד אִם לֹא נִשְׁאֲרוּ עֲשָׂרָה, יְכוֹלִין לִגְמֹר גַּם בְּלֹא עֲשָׂרָה (רַק שֶׁיִּהְיוּ רֹב מִנְיָן) אֵת הָעִנְיָן שֶׁהִתְחִילוּ בַּעֲשָׂרָה,
If they walked out, you continue what you're doing until the end of that section. Specifically:
וְאִם הִתְחִיל הַשְּׁלִיחַ צִבּוּר לַחְזֹר אֵת הַתְּפִלָּה, גּוֹמֵר הַחֲזָרַת כָּל הַתְּפִלָּה וְאוֹמְרִים קְדֻשָּׁה, וְגַם אוֹמֵר אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ בָּרְכֵנוּ בִּבְרָכָה וְכוּ', אֲבָל אֵין הַכֹּהֲנִים נוֹשְׂאִין אֵת כַּפֵּיהֶם,
If you're in the repetition of the Amida, you finish, including Kedusha, but the Cohanim cannot do Birkat Cohanim. (In our case, they'd be back - so Birkat Cohanim would happen.)
וְגַם אֵין אוֹמְרִים קַדִּישׁ לְאַחַר הַשְּׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה, כִּי הֵמָּה עִנְיָנִים אֲחֵרִים (כָּךְ כָּתַב הַפְּרִי חָדָשׁ וְעוֹד מֵהָאַחֲרוֹנִים ז"ל)
You also cannot say Kaddish after the Amida. (Could happen in our case if they go out to wash after having touched their shoes when putting them back on.)
וְאִם הִתְחִילוּ לִקְרֹת בַּתּוֹרָה בַּעֲשָׂרָה, וְיָצְאוּ מִקְּצָתָן, גּוֹמְרִין אֶת הַקְּרִיאָה, אֲבָל אֵין מוֹסִיפִין, וְגַם אֵין קוֹרִין לְמַפְטִיר, אֶלָּא הָאַחֲרוֹן שֶׁבְּמִנְיַן הַקְּרוּאִים, קוֹרֵא אֵת הַהַפְטָרָה בְּלֹא בְּרָכוֹת. (נ"ה קמ"ג)
If you lose you Minyan during Kriat HaTorah, you can call up the 7 minimum, but no more, and the last (7th) Aliya says the Haftara without Brachot. (Not related to our case.)
Lechatechilah, it shouldn't happen. Instead, for Ashkenazim, they should either wash their hands before Yishtabach or before the Chazarah, or have the Shaliach Tzibbur pause for them to go out. Sepharadim rely on their morning Netilah and refrain from compromising on the Minyan to go wash again. See this article on YUTorah for all the details and opinions.
