Hinshaw urges Alberta teachers to get tested for COVID-19 ahead of school reopenings

With less than four weeks until schools are set to reopen their classrooms for students, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health is recommending all teaching and education staff get tested for COVID-19 before the fall semester begins.

“In addition to the most critical testing of anyone with symptoms, I am recommending all teachers and school-based staff get tested once before school starts in September,” Dr. Deena Hinshaw said at a news conference Wednesday.

Hinshaw said with about 90,000 school staff and teachers across the province, she’s hoping Albertans will step up to make testing possible for these workers over the next three weeks.

“I am asking teachers and educational staff to arrange testing proactively,” she said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I am asking teachers and educational staff to arrange testing proactively," she said.

“I’m also asking other Albertans who feel well to delay testing until after Sept. 1, to ensure the system has the capacity so all school staff can access testing before school starts.”

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Hinshaw, however, stressed the importance of continued access to testing for anyone who is experiencing COVID-19-related symptoms or has been in contact with a confirmed case.

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She added that under her current recommendation, school staff is encouraged to book an appointment either with Alberta Health Services or pharmacies who offer a COVID-19 testing system.

“We’re also looking at ways we can enhance access to testing in the fall,” Hinshaw added.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We're also looking at ways we can enhance access to testing in the fall," Hinshaw added.

Latest COVID-19 numbers in Alberta

Hinshaw announced 121 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Alberta Wednesday, bringing the total number of active cases to 1,044. Of those, 50 people are in hospital and 13 people are being treated in intensive care.

The province also recorded one additional death Wednesday, a woman in her 90s from the Good Samaritan Southgate Care Centre.

Officials noted the death was reported on the facility’s website yesterday, however, it has been included in Wednesday’s update due to a delay in Alberta Health being notified through the provincial reporting system.

Of the new cases reported on Wednesday, the majority were recorded in the Edmonton zone which now has 470 active cases, the highest number of infections in the province.

The Calgary zone has 312 active cases, the Central zone’s active cases sit at 92 while Alberta’s South zone has recorded 55 cases and the North zone has 111 active cases.

There are also currently four active cases of COVID-19 in an unknown zone in Alberta.

As of Aug. 12, the province has completed 785,361 COVID-19 tests and 10,632 Albertans have recovered from the novel coronavirus.