Additional supports to be brought in to help alleviate strain on Alberta health care system

Newfoundland will be sending a medical team that will be deployed to work in Fort McMurray. “I know Alberta health care workers will be grateful for the helping hand and that all Albertans are thankful for any assistance at this challenging time,” Kenney stated.

Health Minister Jason Copping says right now every bed counts and that Alberta Health Services is reaching a point where they can’t continue to expand ICU capacity. Kenney has also asked the Federal Government to secure a shipment of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. Kenney says many unvaccinated Albertans have indicated that they are willing to receive this vaccine instead of the other three currently available. “We want to do everything we can to help get these folks the protection that they need” Doses of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine could arrive as early as next week.

Over the last couple of weeks, Kenney says he has been speaking to private Alberta businesses about the importance of ensuring staff are vaccinated to help reduce pressure on the healthcare system. To keep the momentum going the Premier says the Cabinet Committee approved a requirement on Thursday that all 25 thousand employees of the Alberta Public Service show proof of vaccination or a regular rapid negative test results. “The message is clear: we value our public servants and the important work that they do, that’s why we want to ensure they are operating in safe workplaces and that we are doing everything we can to protect the millions of Albertans to whom they provide services”.

Starting October 15th, employees will be able to declare their vaccination status and submit proof of full vaccination. They have until November 30 to provide this and will be given paid time to get immunized if they are not. Employees who do not provide proof of vaccination by the required deadline will be provided with additional education about the safety and efficacy of vaccines in addition to the other testing requirements.

Kenney added that the Ministers of Health and Education will be writing to schools board in the coming days to ask that they consider similar policies for their staff including teachers.

The Premier was again asked what it would take to implement more public health restrictions including a fire breaker lockdown that many doctors have been calling for. Kenney maintains this why the province brought in the current public health measures. “We have to ensure that the measures we adopt actually have a meaningful impact. The crisis that we are dealing with comes overwhelmingly from the unvaccinated population which is now 16 percent of adults. We need to address that which is what the current measures seek to do. We will take additional action if it necessary to protect the health care system but any additional measures have to deal with that issue,” he said.

Kenney says policy decisions made in earlier waves of the pandemic are less relevant now because we are now dealing with 16 percent of the population who are less likely to comply with public health restrictions.

Dr. Verna Yiu, CEO of Alberta Health Services reiterated the strain that the COVID-19 pandemic is having on the health care system in Alberta. She noted that the pandemic is adding extreme stress on the health care workers and urged anyone who is struggling to reach out for help.

” This pandemic is having an impact on our teams both physically and mentally. Our people have been working tirelessly to care for Albertans throughout this long and exhausting pandemic. We understand and acknowledge the stress and strain they are under as well as the impact on their families and loved ones,” she said.

Yiu also expressed her condolences over the death of an ICU nurse. It is unknown how the nurse died, or what region the nurse was from. When pressed by a reporter for further details Yiu said confidentiality prohibits her from sharing more.

Yiu said ICUs and hospitals remain under unprecedented pressure. There are currently 307 people in ICU across the province and the total ICU capacity is 372 beds. The total capacity province-wide, is at 83 percent. But without the additional 23 surge beds added this week, capacity would have been at 179 per cent.

Yiu said the number of COVID-19 patients requiring critical care is continuous. Yesterday Yiu said the province COVID-19 patients that needed to be admitted to the ICU–one of the highest daily rates of admissions this month.

” We need everyone’s help to reduce the pressure on the ICU system. Our teams are doing everything that they can but we need Albertans to do their part,” Yiu said.

In Medicine Hat, there are currently 660 active cases of COVID-19, and 3,186 recoveries.

There have been five more deaths in our city since the last update on Sept, 29., A total of 57 people have died from COVID-19.

69.2 per cent of Hatters have received at least one dose of the vaccine. 60.8 per cent are fully vaccinated.

In Cypress County, there are 106 active cases, 644 recoveries, and four recorded deaths.

60.1 percent of residents in Cypress County have received one dose, and 52.1 per cent are fully vaccinated.

The County of Forty Mile has 76 active cases, 190 recoveries, and five recorded deaths.

Brooks has 166 active cases, 1,770 recoveries, and 19 recorded deaths.

The County of Newell has 56 active cases, 331 recoveries, and five recorded deaths.

The Municipal District of Taber has 176 active cases, 844 recoveries, and 11 deaths.

Lethbridge has 487 cases, 5592 recoveries and 45 deaths.

by Tiffany Goodwein

Additional supports to be brought in to help alleviate strain on Alberta health care system

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