More than 1,300 new COVID-19 cases identified in Alberta as hospitalizations continue to rise

Alberta identified 1,315 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday.

There are now 465 people in hospital with COVID-19, up from 431 people in hospital on Tuesday.

Of the COVID-19 patients in hospital, 107 are receiving treatment in intensive care.

In a tweet, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said 81.1 per cent of patients in hospital but not in ICU are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.

Of the 107 people in the ICU, 91.6 per cent are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, according to Hinshaw.

The new cases came from 12,141 tests, putting the province’s positivity rate at about 11 per cent.

There are now 12,290 active cases of COVID-19 in Alberta. Of those, 3,838 are in the Edmonton zone, 3,368 are in the Calgary zone, 2,280 are in the North zone, 1,503 are in the Central zone, 1,266 are in the South zone and 35 are in an unknown zone.

Eight additional deaths were reported to Alberta Health in the last 24 hours, putting the province’s death toll from COVID-19 at 2,383.

1:57 Alberta Health Services to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for all employees

Also Wednesday, eligible Albertans were able to begin booking appointments for a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

Earlier this week, the province announced third doses of COVID-19 vaccines will be available to all seniors living in congregate care, immunocompromised Albertans, as well as some travellers.

As of Tuesday, 78.1 per cent of eligible Albertans 12 and older had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, while 69.9 per cent were fully vaccinated.

When it comes to the total population of Alberta, 66.4 per cent have received one dose of vaccine and 59.5 per cent are fully vaccinated.

2:15 COVID-19 vaccine bus rolls into University of Calgary campus

Grande Prairie mayor writes to minister

Days after Alberta Health Services said it was transferring “up to nine patients” out of Grande Prairie’s Queen Elizabeth II Hospital to neighbouring health-care centres because too many COVID-19 patients need acute care and ICU spaces, that city’s mayor wrote a letter about the situation to Health Minister Tyler Shandro on Tuesday.

“Grande Prairie city council is alarmed at the news of the QEII Hospital running over capacity, resulting in patients having to be relocated,” Jackie Clayton wrote in a letter posted to Facebook. “As concerning is the decision to delay approximately 45 surgeries per week to accommodate additional beds for COVID-19 patients.

Clayton added that the city is also seriously concerned by AHS’ mention of “unexpected staff vacancies.”

On Wednesday afternoon, Grande Prairie ranked ninth for the number of active COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people on a list of 112 regions on the provincial government’s website. The city had 477 active coronavirus cases among its 74,245 inhabitants.

“The city recognizes that our region currently has among the highest COVID-19 rates in the province,” Clayton’s letter read. “We will comply and assist with any public health measures implemented by the province.”

Alberta has not introduced any new public health measures since the pandemic’s fourth wave hit but plans to significantly scale back testing and contact tracing at the end of the month. On Sept. 27, the province will also no longer require people with COVID-19 to self-isolate.

Clayton’s letter pleads with Shandro and AHS to provide the city with an update on staffing challenges at the QEII Hospital and what is being done to address the issue.

READ MORE: AHS transferring patients out of Grande Prairie hospital to free space for COVID-19 care

“Council remains a committed partner with AHS and the province and look to provide any support we can on recruitment and retention challenges,” Clayton said.

In an email to Global News on Wednesday, AHS spokesperson James Wood acknowledged that the health authority “continues to experience capacity challenges at many of our hospitals and health-care sites, particularly in urban areas.”

“We are doing absolutely everything we can to ensure anyone who needs care receives it,” he said. “Provincially, hospital capacity is currently at 83 per cent, and ICU capacity (including additional surge beds) is currently at 89 per cent.

“We currently have 212 ICU beds open in Alberta, including 39 additional spaces… However, we need to staff those beds, and that is challenging right now.”

Wood said to increase ICU capacity, AHS needs to reduce services in other areas.

“This allows us to redeploy staff and focus our resources on areas of higher priority (such as ICU). That is why we have postponed surgeries in the Edmonton and North zones, and why we will likely be needing to make further service reductions in the coming days.”

READ MORE: Alberta’s COVID-19 surge spurs delays for up to 30% of non-urgent surgeries in Edmonton zone 

Opposition health critic David Shepherd issued a statement about the province’s COVID-19 situation on Wednesday afternoon.

“The leadership of Alberta Health Services is cancelling surgeries to find space for COVID-19 cases,” his statement read in part. “(Premier) Jason Kenney has nothing to say to the hundreds of Albertans who are waiting and worrying, often in pain, as their conditions worsen and their surgeries are cancelled.

“As (AHS CEO) Dr. Verna Yiu said yesterday, there is a limit to what the health-care system can absorb. I worry that we will soon be testing the limits of our hospitals and the health-care heroes who work in them.

“At a time of great danger for Albertans, Jason Kenney and the UCP have abandoned their posts.”

Global News reached out to Shandro’s office to ask for comment on Clayton’s letter and Shepherd’s statement. The minister’s spokesperson, Steve Buick, said Shandro appreciates Clayton’s “willingness to help in responding to the pandemic, and her support for the new hospital.”

“The minister will be happy to give Mayor Clayton the update she asked for as soon as possible, and will ask AHS leaders in the North zone to meet with her in person to provide any information and support they can,” he said. “The province’s public health measures announced in July remain in effect, including mandatory masking in health-care facilities and on transit.

“Municipalities are free to take further measures that they deem warranted locally, as they’ve done before.”

Buick added that Shandro “feels for patients who are having surgery postponed, and for staff who are working to ensure the safety of all patients, in Grande Prairie and across the province.”

“The pandemic remains a challenge for the coming weeks,” he added.