The intensity of the Omicron wave has been slowly decreasing for weeks. The county government changed its COVID-19 updates with Dr. Dina Hinsaw and Health Secretary Jason Kopping from a weekly show to twice a week. During Wednesday’s press conference, Hinshaw announced that this would be the last regularly scheduled update for COVID. “We remain committed to the transparent communication of important public health information and, of course, we will provide updates if needed,” he said. Alberta Health will continue to update public COVID-19 data every week, he said. Upcoming changes in the way public health officials monitor COVID-19, which are supposed to make things more sustainable, will affect the public data control panel later this summer, Hinshaw said. In the fall, Alberta Health will change its COVID report to align with that of the flu test chart, showing how the two respiratory diseases are spreading, he added. The cessation of regular personal updates is part of that transition, Hinshaw said. “We are entering a phase of the pandemic where our response may be de-escalated, while we remain vigilant and prepared to respond to new variants that could lead to another wave of cases and hospital admissions,” Copping said on Wednesday. Last week, Alberta lifted mandatory public health restrictions, in addition to some measures at Alberta Health Services and other health facilities. Public health orders for continuing care facilities will be canceled on June 30, Copping said, but safeguard policies will remain in place as part of operating standards. Alberta Health Services will monitor cases in higher-risk environments and respond as needed, he said. Compulsory health facility coverage in Alberta has changed from a provincial rule to an organizational policy. (Radio-Canada) Later this summer, some AHS test sites will be converted to treatment sites that will be integrated with other services, Copping said. Hinshaw noted that living with COVID-19 does not mean leaving, but that the county has tools available to lift public health restrictions. The COVID-19 vaccine is one of those tools, he added. Hinshaw encouraged Alberts to take their initial vaccine doses (if they have not already done so) and booster doses when they are eligible to do so. Provincial figures suggest the government may back down on public health measures, said Noel Gibney, an associate professor of intensive care at the University of Alberta. He hopes, however, that the restrictions will return if there is another increase due to new variants. “Public health and medical science are telling us that this pandemic is not going to behave as we expected,” Gibney said. “Being ready to re-impose restrictions would show that the Alberta government wants to keep the public safe and recognizes that hospitals have come under pressure during huge increases,” Gibney said. He said that given the low level of testing, Alberta could be in the middle of a wave once the data show it has happened.
Another 13 Alberts die from COVID-19
Alberta public health officials identified 13 more COVID-19 deaths between June 14 and 20, the last reporting week. A total of 4,604 Alberts have died from the disease since the pandemic began. Meanwhile, there were fewer Alberts in the hospital with COVID-19 than the previous reporting week. As of Monday, 661 people were being treated in hospitals, including 17 patients receiving intensive care. There were 719 hospitalizations, of which 19 patients in intensive care units, a week ago. The seven-day PCR test positive rate dropped to 12.32 percent in the last reference week. Last week, the seven-day positive test rate was about 13.2 percent. There were 1,086 new cases of COVID-19 detected by PCR in the last reporting week – almost 400 fewer than the previous week. The amount of virus circulating in the community is believed to be higher, as most Alverna residents do not have access to PCR tests and the data rule out positive rapid test results. Of the entire population of Alberta, including those who do not qualify, 77.3 percent of people have two doses of COVID-19 vaccine. 81.5 percent of the population has at least one dose. Dr Lynora Saxinger, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Alberta, said she was concerned that the forthcoming changes in reports could reinforce the misconception that the pandemic was over, especially given the high levels of transmission. “There is a balance that needs to be struck there,” Saxinger said. “Some people say, ‘Absolutely, we’re doing the same things we used to do,’ and I’m not sure it’s very right. .
Another case of smallpox was detected
A new case of smallpox has been reported in Alberta, Hinshaw said. The man is an adult and is linked to another case of monkey pox reported outside the province, he said, adding that the risk of infection in Alberta is low. A total of five cases have now been found in Alberta. all from the Calgary and Edmonton health zones, he said.
