On Tuesday, Alberta announced a $1.7-million donation from the Calgary Health Trust would help boost the province’s COVID-19 testing capacity to more than 16,000 tests a day by June.
Health Minister Tyler Shandro said the donation means Alberta has a $4.5-million investment in new virus-detecting equipment and technology.
“With this new testing technology, Albertans have another way to help us flatten the curve and protect our most vulnerable citizens.
“By getting tested and providing invaluable data to health professionals, we can have the best possible information to guide and evaluate our relaunch actions.”
He said the money would be spent on new technology and equipment that will more than double the current rate of testing, which is about 7,000 a day.
The additional COVID-19 testing resources will be integrated into the current system and be located where it’s most needed.
Increased testing is “essential” to Alberta’s relaunch strategy, Shandro said. It provides the most accurate and detailed information possible and provides data that will inform decisions on reopening the economy, restarting health services and protecting the health-care system, Shandro said.
“Our ability to maintain COVID-19 testing capacity at the highest levels in Canada is critical to Alberta’s Relaunch Strategy,” Premier Jason Kenney said.
“I want to thank Calgary Health Trust and its donors for their generous contribution at this challenging time. Through continued support and ongoing vigilance, together we will slow the spread of the virus and reopen Alberta.”
“Enhancing our testing capacity is only one of many steps,” Shandro said.
He explained that on Monday he signed two ministerial orders related to the pandemic response.
He signed an order to allow the disclosure of a person’s COVID-19 test results to police if that person is deliberately putting that first responder at risk in some way, like coughing, sneezing or spitting on them and claiming they have the virus.
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“We take confidentiality seriously but we will not tolerate our front-line workers being put at risk in this way,” the health minister explained.
In this type of situation, knowing the suspect’s test results will let the front-line worker know if they need to self-isolate or not.
Shandro said other provinces, like Ontario, have similar rules in place.
Another ministerial order he signed expands the kind of health-care practitioners who can help with contact tracing.
Currently, only executive officers and community health nurses can do this task, Shandro said.
Under the new order, other professionals can do this work, including chiropractors, paramedics, respiratory therapists, physiotherapists, psychiatric nurses, LPNs, pharmacists and dental hygienists. All workers must complete training to do this role and AHS will supervise them.
On Tuesday, Dr. Deena Hinshaw announced 57 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, bringing the provincial total to 5,893. Of those, 3,219 people had recovered.
Two more Albertans died of COVID-19, bringing the provincial death toll to 106.
The two people who died were both at long-term care centres in Calgary: a man in his 80s at Intercare Brentwood Care Centre and a man in his 70s at Carewest Sarcee.
Alberta’s chief medical officer of health said there are 622 outbreak cases in continuing care centres.
Hinshaw confirmed Alberta Health Services has retained AgeCare to take over the administration of Millrise Seniors Village in Calgary.
“Continuing care facilities remain a priority,” she said.
There are 87 people in hospital, 20 of whom have been admitted to intensive care units (ICU).
As of Tuesday, Hinshaw said there were 949 confirmed cases at the Cargill meat plant, 810 of which have recovered.
There were 487 cases at the JBS plant in Brooks.
There were 36 cases identified at the Harmony Beef plant. Hinshaw explained the case number was high, partly because of the outbreak management tool to test everyone who works there, whether they’re showing symptoms or not.
On Monday, COVID-19 testing was expanded, making it available to all asymptomatic contacts of people who are confirmed to have the virus.
Albertans with any of the following expanded symptoms can now be tested:
Fever, chills, a new cough or worsening of chronic cough, new or worsening shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, stuffy or running nose, headaches, sore throat or painful swallowing, muscle or joint aches, feeling unwell in general, new fatigue or severe exhaustion, gastrointestinal illness (diarrhea, nausea, vomiting or unexplained loss of appetite), loss of smell or taste, or pink eye.
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