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Alberta's health minister tests positive for COVID-19 as more than 1,000 Albertans hospitalized with the virusAnna Junker 9 hrs ago
Alberta’s Health Minister Jason Copping has tested positive for COVID-19 as the province reported more than 1,000 people hospitalized with the virus on Monday.
© Provided by Edmonton Journal Health Minister Jason Copping.
In a series of tweets posted Monday afternoon, Copping said he began displaying symptoms last week. He took a rapid test which came back positive.
He urged Albertans to stay home if they have symptoms, take a rapid test if they can, and get immunized or book a booster shot.
“Reports suggest fully vaccinated individuals are 19 times less likely to end up in the hospital with Omicron than unvaccinated individuals,” Copping said.
In a series of tweets posted Monday afternoon, Copping said he began displaying symptoms last week. He took a rapid test which came back positive.
He urged Albertans to stay home if they have symptoms, take a rapid test if they can, and get immunized or book a booster shot.
“Reports suggest fully vaccinated individuals are 19 times less likely to end up in the hospital with Omicron than unvaccinated individuals,” Copping said.
© Provided by Edmonton Journal
On Monday, the province reported that 1,007 Albertans were hospitalized with COVID-19, an increase of 185 since Friday. Of those, 94 are in intensive care units, an increase of 13.
The province’s peak of hospitalizations was reached in the fourth wave, when 1,128 Albertans were recorded to be in hospital on Sept. 27.
Alberta reported 6,293 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, 5,407 on Saturday and 4,186 on Sunday. However, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw has previously noted that the number of infections in the community is at least 10 times higher.
Positivity rates for each day were at 38.9 per cent on Friday, 35.2 per cent on Saturday and 37.6 per cent on Sunday.
Across the province, there are 72,368 active cases, an increase of 8,239.
In the Edmonton Zone, there are 26,002 active cases, while the city of Edmonton has 18,003, or 1,734.3 per 100,000 people.
Twenty-three more deaths raised the provincial death toll to 3,403. The deaths include that of a child between the ages of five and nine years old, who did not have any pre-existing conditions, Alberta Health confirmed.
Other deaths include Albertans in their 70s, 80s, and 90s.
On Monday, the province reported that 1,007 Albertans were hospitalized with COVID-19, an increase of 185 since Friday. Of those, 94 are in intensive care units, an increase of 13.
The province’s peak of hospitalizations was reached in the fourth wave, when 1,128 Albertans were recorded to be in hospital on Sept. 27.
Alberta reported 6,293 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, 5,407 on Saturday and 4,186 on Sunday. However, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw has previously noted that the number of infections in the community is at least 10 times higher.
Positivity rates for each day were at 38.9 per cent on Friday, 35.2 per cent on Saturday and 37.6 per cent on Sunday.
Across the province, there are 72,368 active cases, an increase of 8,239.
In the Edmonton Zone, there are 26,002 active cases, while the city of Edmonton has 18,003, or 1,734.3 per 100,000 people.
Twenty-three more deaths raised the provincial death toll to 3,403. The deaths include that of a child between the ages of five and nine years old, who did not have any pre-existing conditions, Alberta Health confirmed.
Other deaths include Albertans in their 70s, 80s, and 90s.
© Provided by Edmonton Journal
Meanwhile, the Alberta NDP continues to call on the province to take action on making schools safe for staff and students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Education critic Sarah Hoffman said Monday that the UCP government is “setting up schools to close” as high absenteeism continues to be reported.
“Right now, during this Omicron surge, the UCP government has left students and staff to fend for themselves,” Hoffman said.
Late last week, the City of Edmonton donated a 10-day supply of KN95 masks for staff that had been given to the city by the province.
“Yes, the UCP government gave KN95 masks to the city but refuses to give them to schools and then claims that the masks were no good anyway,” Hoffman said.
However, after delaying the return to school by a week, the province said all students and staff would be sent home with rapid test kits and medical-grade masks in a phased approach upon their return to school on Jan. 10.
But Hoffman said the UCP’s response to the fifth wave has been “grossly inadequate.”
“It’s not too late for this UCP government to do the right thing and make schools safer for students and staff now,” Hoffman said, adding the NDP continues to call for N95 masks, HEPA filters for schools, funding to make substitute teachers full-time, funding for mental health counsellors in schools, accurate public reporting of infections and absenteeism in schools, and financial support for families.
Meanwhile, the Alberta NDP continues to call on the province to take action on making schools safe for staff and students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Education critic Sarah Hoffman said Monday that the UCP government is “setting up schools to close” as high absenteeism continues to be reported.
“Right now, during this Omicron surge, the UCP government has left students and staff to fend for themselves,” Hoffman said.
Late last week, the City of Edmonton donated a 10-day supply of KN95 masks for staff that had been given to the city by the province.
“Yes, the UCP government gave KN95 masks to the city but refuses to give them to schools and then claims that the masks were no good anyway,” Hoffman said.
However, after delaying the return to school by a week, the province said all students and staff would be sent home with rapid test kits and medical-grade masks in a phased approach upon their return to school on Jan. 10.
But Hoffman said the UCP’s response to the fifth wave has been “grossly inadequate.”
“It’s not too late for this UCP government to do the right thing and make schools safer for students and staff now,” Hoffman said, adding the NDP continues to call for N95 masks, HEPA filters for schools, funding to make substitute teachers full-time, funding for mental health counsellors in schools, accurate public reporting of infections and absenteeism in schools, and financial support for families.
© Provided by Edmonton Journal
ajunker@postmedia.com
ajunker@postmedia.com
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