Alberta tries rapid testing for travellers

EDMONTON — On the same day the Alberta government announced a pilot project for testing international travellers for COVID-19, the province’s top doctor announced further restrictions on non-urgent surgeries in the Edmonton region as record-breaking COVID-19 numbers put added pressures on the health-care system.

Earlier on Thursday, a joint announcement between the Alberta and federal governments, laid out a plan for travellers at the Calgary airport and a southern Alberta border crossing, which would see people tested at the border and, should they test negative, not have to submit to a 14day quarantine — provided they test negative again in six or seven days.

“This new pilot program will allow those who need to travel for work to have a safe path to a shorter quarantine period,” said Premier Jason Kenney in a statement.

Meanwhile, the pandemic has reached into the highest levels of the provincial government, with Kenney in self-isolation — though he has tested negative — following contact with Municipal Affairs Minister Tracy Allard, who tested positive for COVID-19; one other minister and three United Conservative Party MLAs are also self-isolating because they came into contact with positive cases.

On Thursday, the province reported 427 new cases — a record since the pandemic began. There were 3,519 active cases in the province at that point.

Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the province’s chief medical officer of health, said a source of the spike the province is seeing now is Thanksgiving.

“We definitely have seen an impact from Thanksgiving gatherings,” she said at an update on Thursday afternoon.

The government is closely watching hospitalization rates, and on Tuesday, at her last update, she said Alberta was in a “danger zone.” Pressure on the medical system, including beds taken up by sick patients and health-care workers being in quarantine, led Alberta Health Services to restrict non-urgent surgeries and some medical visits on Thursday.

Eighteen people were in ICU at that point, which was roughly 26 per cent of the 70 ICU beds set aside for COVID-19. In total, 112 people were in hospital.

“This is something that we continue to watch very closely,” Hinshaw said.

While individual municipalities have introduced mandatory mask policies, most provincial restrictions are voluntary, such as the suggestion for the Edmonton region that people not have gatherings of more than 15 people.