UCP, SHANDRO, KENNEY TO BLAME
An Edmonton woman in her 50s is the second health-care worker to die from COVID-19 in Alberta.
WHERE ARE THE VACCINATIONS FOR FRONT LINE WORKERS
© Provided by Edmonton Journal Alberta's chief medical officer of health Dr.Deena Hinshaw provided, from Edmonton on Wednesday, December 16, 2020, an update on COVID-19 and the ongoing work to protect public health. Government of Alberta
Health Minster Tyler Shandro announced the death Tuesday, saying his thoughts go out to the family of the woman. This is the second death Shandro has reported among health-care workers in the past 48 hours. Joe Corral, a health-care aide in Calgary, was the first known death.
“I just want to say to these two families, I want them to know that we thank these two people for their service to the province and we join you in honouring their memory,” said Shandro. “The pandemic has brought too many stories of tragedy to too many families. But it’s also brought examples of the hard work and commitment of the people in the health-care system.”
Michael Parker, president of the Health Sciences Associations of Alberta, said the woman was not a member of his union but that her death shows all front-line health-care workers need to be immunized.
“This is why we have been so desperately asking for all of our front-line members to be vaccinated immediately, including our paramedics,” said Parker. “No more blaming, get the damn vaccine out and available to our front-line people immediately.”
Twenty-six deaths were reported in Alberta on Tuesday, bringing the total of fatalities counted in the past 48 hours to 122. Monday’s update presented online included data from Dec. 30 to Jan. 3.
A total of 1,168 Albertans have died as a result of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.
Alberta’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw announced 843 new cases on Tuesday after 10,301 tests were completed. There are 13,411 active infections across Alberta, including 5,794 in the Edmonton Zone.
The number of completed tests dropped over the holidays, leading Shandro to say there is some “uncertainty” around recent case numbers. He said the provincial emergency management committee will be meeting either this week or next week to review the latest data.
“The reliability of some of the holiday testing has to be looked at, in a particular way, because not as many people wanted to get tested during the holidays,” said Shandro.
Prior to the holidays, 15,000 to 20,000 tests were completed daily. By comparison, 12,719 tests were completed on Jan. 1, 8,112 on Jan. 2 and 11,963 on Jan. 3.
Current restrictions on businesses will be in place until at least Jan. 12. Shandro said the management committee will be reviewing the restrictions before then but said they will be in place until the government decides they are no longer necessary.
Hinshaw said there has been a stabilization of new cases in the province but once again warned that lower testing numbers over the holidays may have contributed to decreasing numbers.
“Overall, new case numbers, hospitalizations, and ICU admissions for COVID-19 are still very high in our province,” said Hinshaw. “While we work to offer vaccine to those at highest risk, we must continue to act as the vaccine for each other right now. Please keep following the public health measures in place and limit your in-person interactions whenever possible.”
There are 919 Albertans in hospital with COVID-19, including 140 in intensive care units.
Shandro warned cases could climb in the coming days. The province saw a steep increase after Thanksgiving and health officials have warned daily case counts could break into the 2,000s if large portions of the public attended social gatherings.
“There’s a real risk of an increase due to the holidays,” said Shandro. “But we turned the corner on cases before Christmas and lower case numbers and lower case numbers have also changed the curve of cases coming into hospitals. They’re still far too high, but they’re flattening and if we stick at it, they’ll come down.”
dshort@postmedia.com
Health Minster Tyler Shandro announced the death Tuesday, saying his thoughts go out to the family of the woman. This is the second death Shandro has reported among health-care workers in the past 48 hours. Joe Corral, a health-care aide in Calgary, was the first known death.
“I just want to say to these two families, I want them to know that we thank these two people for their service to the province and we join you in honouring their memory,” said Shandro. “The pandemic has brought too many stories of tragedy to too many families. But it’s also brought examples of the hard work and commitment of the people in the health-care system.”
Michael Parker, president of the Health Sciences Associations of Alberta, said the woman was not a member of his union but that her death shows all front-line health-care workers need to be immunized.
“This is why we have been so desperately asking for all of our front-line members to be vaccinated immediately, including our paramedics,” said Parker. “No more blaming, get the damn vaccine out and available to our front-line people immediately.”
Twenty-six deaths were reported in Alberta on Tuesday, bringing the total of fatalities counted in the past 48 hours to 122. Monday’s update presented online included data from Dec. 30 to Jan. 3.
A total of 1,168 Albertans have died as a result of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.
Alberta’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw announced 843 new cases on Tuesday after 10,301 tests were completed. There are 13,411 active infections across Alberta, including 5,794 in the Edmonton Zone.
The number of completed tests dropped over the holidays, leading Shandro to say there is some “uncertainty” around recent case numbers. He said the provincial emergency management committee will be meeting either this week or next week to review the latest data.
“The reliability of some of the holiday testing has to be looked at, in a particular way, because not as many people wanted to get tested during the holidays,” said Shandro.
Prior to the holidays, 15,000 to 20,000 tests were completed daily. By comparison, 12,719 tests were completed on Jan. 1, 8,112 on Jan. 2 and 11,963 on Jan. 3.
Current restrictions on businesses will be in place until at least Jan. 12. Shandro said the management committee will be reviewing the restrictions before then but said they will be in place until the government decides they are no longer necessary.
Hinshaw said there has been a stabilization of new cases in the province but once again warned that lower testing numbers over the holidays may have contributed to decreasing numbers.
“Overall, new case numbers, hospitalizations, and ICU admissions for COVID-19 are still very high in our province,” said Hinshaw. “While we work to offer vaccine to those at highest risk, we must continue to act as the vaccine for each other right now. Please keep following the public health measures in place and limit your in-person interactions whenever possible.”
There are 919 Albertans in hospital with COVID-19, including 140 in intensive care units.
Shandro warned cases could climb in the coming days. The province saw a steep increase after Thanksgiving and health officials have warned daily case counts could break into the 2,000s if large portions of the public attended social gatherings.
“There’s a real risk of an increase due to the holidays,” said Shandro. “But we turned the corner on cases before Christmas and lower case numbers and lower case numbers have also changed the curve of cases coming into hospitals. They’re still far too high, but they’re flattening and if we stick at it, they’ll come down.”
dshort@postmedia.com
No comments:
Post a Comment