Alberta reports 1,519 new COVID-19 cases, 29 deaths
Alberta reported 1,519 new COVID-19 cases and 29 deaths on Tuesday as Tyler Shandro resigned from his position as health minister.
The province has 20,917 active cases and 996 hospitalizations, including 222 ICU admissions.
Alberta Health Services' ICU capacity is at 87 per cent including surge beds, according to Premier Jason Kenney.
The 29 deaths increased Alberta's pandemic death toll to 2,574.
"Some of these individuals were double vaccinated and had pre-existing health conditions that compromised their immune systems, but most were not vaccinated at all," Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said.
THIRD DOSES
More immunocompromised Albertans will be eligible to get a booster shot starting on Friday, the premier announced.
The expansion includes people with Stage 3 or advanced HIV, transplant recipients and patients with chronic kidney disease.
"The data shows that individuals with certain immunocompromising conditions do not develop as robust an immune response from two doses and benefit from a third dose," Hinshaw said.
Booster shots will be available at least eight weeks after the second dose.
Of eligible Albertans, 81.4 per cent have one COVID-19 vaccine dose and 72.8 per cent have two doses.
NEW HEALTH MINISTER
In a cabinet shuffle on Tuesday afternoon, former Labour and Immigration Minister Jason Copping became Alberta's health minister.
Kenney said Shandro offered his resignation and he accepted it, and Shandro will take over Copping's previous portfolio.
Copping told reporters his main three goals are to increase hospital capacity permanently, educate vaccine-hesitant Albertans and prepare the health system to respond to potential future waves.
Alberta health officials will give another COVID-19 update later this week.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.