Vaccinations in race with variants
New cases of more-contagious COVID-19 outnumber previously dominant strain
Half of Alberta's active cases are now variants of concern, as the province reported a record 942 new cases of the more-contagious strains of COVID-19 on Sunday.
The record variant cases come as Alberta prepares to expand vaccine eligibility to include an additional 240,000 health-care workers in Phase 2C on Monday.
The more-contagious variants now represent 50.5 per cent of Alberta's 14,293 active cases across the province. Nearly 2,000 variant cases were detected over the weekend, including 876 on Saturday and 942 on Sunday, the majority of which are the B.1.1.7 strain, first identified in the United Kingdom, which is now the dominant strain in Alberta.
On April 4, about 38 per cent of the province's active cases were variants of concern.
Greater community spread of the variants has resulted in swelling hospital admissions.
An eight-per-cent increase in hospitalizations due to COVID -19 was reported Sunday, as the number of patients in hospital jumped from 349 on Saturday to 376 on Sunday.
This followed the five per cent increase documented Saturday.
The 376 hospitalizations include 90 patients in intensive-care units, up from 84 a day earlier. About 37 per cent of the province's COVID -19 patients are in Calgary zone hospitals, including 40 of the 90 total ICU patients.
The Calgary zone is home to the most variant cases of any Alberta Health Services zone, with 82 of the province's 102 cases of the P.1 strain discovered in Brazil, 17 of the 27 total cases of the B.1.351 variant identified in South Africa and 4,802 of the 10,641 total cases of B.1.1.7.
Of the 6,600 active cases in the Calgary zone, 3,340 are variants of concern — or about 51 per cent.
Alberta Health reported a total 1,183 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday. The new cases came from 14,861 completed tests for a test positivity rate of 7.9 per cent. There were 1,293 cases reported Saturday, representing a nine per cent test positivity rate.
One additional death was reported, a woman in her 70s from the Edmonton zone. Alberta's COVID -19 death toll is now 2,013, including 36 deaths linked to variants of concern.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, wrote on Twitter on Sunday to encourage people with symptoms to get tested for COVID-19.
“If you have a cough, fever, runny nose, shortness of breath, sore throat or any other symptom of COVID-19, please stay home and complete the AHS self-assessment to arrange for testing,” wrote Hinshaw.
Vaccine eligibility expands to part of Phase 2C on Monday
Premier Jason Kenney said during a news conference Saturday that health care workers in Phase 2C of the vaccine rollout are next in line to be immunized against COVID -19 starting Monday.
The list of those newly eligible is broad. It includes all family doctors, nurses in the community, pharmacists, dentists and optometrists. It also includes addictions counsellors, chiropractors, laboratory technicians and psychologists, among other health-care professionals. Practicum students in clinical placements are also eligible.
All those working in patient-care facilities who provide services directly to members of the public in Alberta Health Services, Covenant Health, Alberta Precision Labs and Dynalife workplaces are also eligible, as are health-care workers on First Nation reserves and Métis Settlements. Support staff in these environments, including cleaning, reception and security workers, can also book their shots.
Albertans in these groups must provide proof of employment or professional registration at their vaccine appointments. Bookings will be available through AHS at alberta.ca/vaccine and 811 Health Link starting at 8 a.m., or at participating pharmacies.
“Hospital staff, both on the front lines and behind the scenes, are ready to move to protect this next group,” Kenney said.
AHS said in a post on Twitter on Sunday that the province anticipates incoming vaccine supplies over the next three to four weeks that will allow all who are eligible to book appointments during this time frame. “This rollout will provide protection to patients and clients accessing care across the health-care system, reducing the risk of health care workers becoming infected or spreading the virus to others,” wrote AHS.
The expansion means more than 1.7 million Albertans will be eligible for vaccines, about half of the province's adult population.
To prepare for an influx of newly eligible Albertans on Monday morning, the online booking tool will be down from 7 a.m. until 8 a.m.
Immunization data was not updated Sunday, due to technical issues, according to Alberta Health. But as of the end-of-day Friday, Alberta had administered 847,630 doses of COVID -19 vaccine. There are 684,098 Albertans who have had their first dose of vaccine, representing 15.5 per cent of the province and 19.9 per cent of its adults.