Alberta reports 531 new COVID-19 cases, will implement new rules in continuing care facilities
Premier Jason Kenney announced new rules will be put in place to protect residents and staff at continuing care facilities on Oct. 25.
The province announced 531 new COVID-19 cases after 8,030 tests on Oct. 18. There are currently 11,402 active cases in the province.
There are 964 people in hospital with COVID-19, including 218 in intensive care.
“I would like to thank Albertans for all that they have done to push down the fourth wave,” said Kenney.
Kenney also said that there does not seem to have been a jump in cases due to Thanksgiving gatherings, despite previous long weekends resulting in increases.
“Although we need to keep watching over the next few days, as it’s a little too early to see, completely, the full impact,” said Kenney.
CONTINUING CARE FACILITIES
Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, said that visitors in continuing care facilities will be required to wear masks in all areas of the facilities.
“The only exception will be where there are significant communication challenges, such as a resident being hard of hearing, or an individual with dementia,” said Hinshaw.
Hinshaw also announced new quarantine rules for residents being admitted to a facility from acute care or returning from a hospital if they stayed for more than 24 hours. It will last until a negative COVID-19 test is received.
“I will also be sending a letter out, strongly encouraging families and friends who are not fully vaccinated to not visit or attend to residents in person,” added Hinshaw. “I know this will impact residents in different ways, but it is very important to protect residents and staff from COVID-19.
“While this is a recommendation, in the letter I will also reinforce that operators have the authority to implement additional mandatory measures in their facilities as appropriate, in consultation with their residents and families. This could include requirements for proof of vaccination or rapid tests for visitors entering the site.”
ICU DEMAND STILL HIGH
Kenney and Dr. Verna Yiu, the president and CEO of Alberta Health Services, announced that the number of Albertans in the ICU has decreased, but the need for those beds has stayed high.
“This is partially due to our decision to increase the number of surgeries that our teams are performing each week,” said Yiu. “As pressures from COVID decrease, we’re able to use more of our ICU beds for their intended purpose.
“Many Albertans have had their surgeries and procedures delayed over the past two months and we need to look after those people as soon as we can.”
There are 203 surge ICU beds in the province and Yiu announced that number will be decreased incrementally in the coming weeks.
“We will ensure that we maintain ICU capacity above daily demand to the maximum we can, given available staff and physicians and a return to more usual levels of surgical care,” said Yiu
There are still more Albertans in hospital with COVID-19 currently than at the peak of any previous wave, according to Kenney.
“It’ll take many weeks for this to decline significantly,” added Kenney.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Record-breaking N.B. lottery winner kept winning ticket on dresser for nearly a year
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
Fallen crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison
Crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison for a massive fraud that unravelled with the collapse of FTX, once one of the world's most popular platforms for exchanging digital currency.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.