By Chris Brown

Province records youngest COVID-19 death

Alberta launches app to scan COVID-19 vaccine QR codes

Oct 12, 2021 | 4:05 PM

Albertans can now download a verification app to scan their proof of vaccination with a QR code.

Premier Jason Kenney said businesses and organizations can immediately use the free app “to quickly and easily check the authenticity of a vaccine record.”

He added Albertans can get their enhanced vaccine record and QR code at alberta.ca/vaccinerecords. No account is needed, you only need to enter your Alberta Health Care number.

“When a valid QR code is scanned a green checkmark will verify the proof of vaccination. It’s that easy for businesses and Albertans participating in the (Restrictions Exemption Program),” Kenney said.

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He said the app, available for download on Apple’s App Store and Google Play, does not store any personal information.

He said the province is still facing cancelled surgeries and ICUs are well over their typical baseline capacity. He continued to urge people to get vaccinated.

“Every Albertan who chooses the protection of vaccines is one less person who might tend up in our intensive care units or hospital beds, which means less pressure on our system,” Kenney said Tuesday afternoon.

“To put it bluntly, there are currently 1,053 Albertans hospitalized with COVID-19 and 73 per cent of them are not vaccinated,” Kenney said.

He added 242 of the 1,053 in hospital are in ICU, “with almost 90 per cent of them being unvaccinated.”

Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the chief medical officer of health, said that a 14-year-old is among the 33 deaths overreported today. She said the 14-year-old had complex pre-existing conditions.

Locally, Crescent Heights High School was notified by AHS on Tuesday that the school is currently on Outbreak status.

There are 390 active cases of COVID-19 in Medicine Hat on Tuesday.

Medicine Hat has had 4,216 total cases – the 390 active, 3,759 recovered and there have been 67 deaths, three since Friday.

There are 99 new cases in the city since the Friday update and 242 new recoveries.

An AHS spokesperson told CHAT News on Tuesday that there are currently 112 COVID-19 positive inpatients in the South Zone with 23 of those in the ICU. There are 46 inpatients at Medicine Hat Regional Hospital with 7 in the ICU. Last Thursday there were 54 inpatients at the local hospital, 11 in ICU

The same Alberta Health Services spokesperson told CHAT News last Monday that Medicine Hat Regional Hospital currently has 13 ICU beds, including 6 surge beds.

Chinook Regional Hospital has 49 with 16 in the ICU. Brooks Health Centre has seven inpatients; Cardston Health Centre has three; Bow Island Health Centre, Pincher Creek Heath Centre and Taber Health Centre have two each; and Crowsnest Pass Health Centre has one.

Among Hatters 12 and over, 81.7 per cent have received at least one dose of vaccine and 71.9 per cent are fully vaccinated.

71 per cent of all Hatters have received at least one dose of vaccine at the latest update and 62.4 per cent of Hatters are fully vaccinated.

There are 15,295 active cases in the province, down 3,116 from the last update Friday, and 293,475 recovered cases in the province, up 7,681.

Alberta’s total cases from the start of the pandemic is 311,633.

There are 3,358 new cases in the province since the Friday update

There are now 1,053 Albertans in hospital with COVID-19, 242 of which are in ICU, and 2,863 deaths.

The province completed 40,677 tests since the Friday update.

The positivity rate is about 8.3 per cent.

Alberta has administered 6,238,674 doses of vaccine at the latest update.

Health Minister Jason Copping said vaccinations are the best way to beat back this fourth wave and best prepare for any future waves. He urged people with doubts about vaccinations to talk to their doctor or pharmacist or other health-care professional to get good advice.

“Getting vaccinated now means you are absolutely helping us get past the current wave and help prevent the next one,” he said.

“The fact is we’re seeing a much worse wave than other provinces, mainly because our vaccine coverage is just a few per cent lower. But we can close the gap and we need your help to do it,” said Copping.

Among new cases today, 65.2 per cent are unvaccinated, 6.8 per cent are partially vaccinated and 28.1 per cent are fully vaccinated.

Among current hospitalizations, 73.1 per cent are unvaccinated, 4.9 per cent are partially vaccinated and 21.9 per cent are fully vaccinated.

Province-wide, 85.3 per cent of Albertans 12 years old and up have received at least one dose of vaccine and 76 per cent are fully vaccinated.

Among Alberta’s total population, 72.6 per cent have received at least one dose of vaccine and 64.7 per cent are fully vaccinated.

The number of local outbreaks listed on AHS website has been rising across the city in the past weeks.

There are 1,661 active cases and 19,108 recovered in the South Zone. The death total in the zone is at 230.

The province-wide reproductive value for the week of Sept. 27-Oct. 3 is 0.92. It is 0.93 in Calgary Zone, 0.86 in Edmonton Zone and 0.94 in the rest of Alberta.

It’s updated every two weeks. At the last update from Sept. 13-19 the numbers were 1.04 in the province, 0.94 in Calgary Zone, 0.97 in Edmonton Zone and 1.15 in the rest of Alberta.

Cypress County has totaled 803 cases. There are 58 active cases, 739 recovered and six deaths. The latest one-dose vaccination rate for all ages is 62.7 per cent, the two-dose rate is 53.8.

The County of Forty Mile has 309 total cases. There are 47 active cases, 257 recovered and there have been five deaths. The latest one-dose vaccination rate for all ages is 37.4 per cent, the two-dose rate is 31.3.

The MD of Taber has 1,139 total cases — 128 active cases, 1,000 recovered and there have been 11 deaths. The latest one-dose vaccination rate for all ages is 44.4 per cent, the two-dose rate is 38.1.

Special Areas No. 2 has 228 total cases – 34 active cases, 192 recovered and there have been two deaths.

Brooks has 2,037 total cases — 109 active cases and 1,907 are recovered. Brooks has recorded 21 deaths.

The County of Newell has a total of 428 cases — 43 active cases, 380 recovered and there have been five deaths. The latest one-dose vaccination rate for all ages is 62.1 per cent, the two-dose rate is 52.3. The Newell numbers include the city of Brooks.

The County of Warner has 681 total cases. There are 60 active cases, 618 are recovered cases and there have been three deaths in the county. The latest one-dose vaccination rate for all ages is 55.9 per cent, the two-dose rate is 47.4.

The City of Lethbridge has a total of 6,493 cases. There are 424 active cases, 6,021 recovered and there have been 48 deaths. Lethbridge County has 1,775 cases, 129 active cases, 1,630 recovered and there have been 16 deaths.

Not all the areas on the vaccination data map match the case count map.

The figures on alberta.ca are “up-to-date as of end of day Oct. 11, 2021.”

Saskatchewan has a total of 72,730 cases, 4,450 considered active. There are 67,527 recovered cases and there have been 753 COVID-19 deaths in the province.