Canadian Blood Services looking for donors as long weekend approaches
Canadian Blood Services is celebrating the loyalty of donors during the pandemic as it marks National Blood Donor Week.
CBS says the demand for blood hasn’t slowed amid COVID-19 and they want to thank Albertans for their dedication.
“The support was really strong, but with the lockdown lifting we’re really needing that support to come out now over the summer months,” said Lisa Castro, Canadian Blood Services territory manager.
A recent ISPOS poll commissioned by CBS found 97 per cent of donors still feel safe donating blood.
Canadian Blood Services says precautions such as COVID-19 screening, physical distancing and increased sanitization have been implemented for the entirety of the pandemic to keep donors safe.
“Canadians really rely on us to keep that blood supply strong and safe,” said Castro. “And we’re really counting on blood donors across Canada to help us.”
The organization is hopeful a steady flow of donations continues as restrictions ease.
“With the long weekends fast approaching, we have the July long weekend coming up and from now until then we still have approximately 900 open appointments that are available in Edmonton and surrounding communities.”
Appointments to donate can be booked online, over the phone or on the GiveBlood app.
“We’re hoping that more new donors will take the time to make a difference and ensure patients receive blood when they need it most.”
National Blood Donor Week is June 13 to 19.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.