COVID-19

In a COVID-19 update today, (Thursday, September 16) both Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Chief Medical of Health for Alberta, and Dr. Verna Yiu President and CEO of Alberta Health Services took to the podium.

Dr. Hinshaw began by saying that, “I will once again be providing regular COVID-19 updates twice a week. Given the crisis that our province is facing and the State of Public Health Emergency that was issued yesterday, I will keep Albertans informed and will be here regularly to answer questions to the best of my ability.

Town senior administration has been in meetings most of the day discussing how the added COVID restrictions will impact its operation, residents, and businesses.

Mayor Jeff Genung says there's not a lot to share at this point, but expects more information will be available soon on any changes required.

An expert is calling for empathy as she worries about division over public health orders.

The topic of persecution is a hot one as conversations continue to heat up around COVID-19 vaccine passports and exemptions. These conversations often end in frustration regardless of stance. 

"We should really be trying to approach one another with empathy and understanding," Karen Sharma, Acting Executive Director of the Manitoba Human Rights Commission, says.

All five intensive care patients with active cases of COVID-19 have received no COVID-19 vaccine.

The province is announcing 64 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday. 

New cases include:

In a letter to students, the University of Calgary says that from Thursday, September 16 to Sunday, September 19 all in-person classes will be canceled to regroup and adjust to the announcement made by the provincial government last night (Wednesday, September 15).

Two new positive COVID-19 cases have been discovered by the Northwestern Health Unit. 

The newly found cases were reported in the Rainy River Health Region.

Follow up with the persons involved and their contacts has started according to protocol. Anyone who is identified as a contact for these cases will be contacted directly.

Currently, there are nine active cases connected to the NWHU catchment area.

Here's hoping for 2022.

Cochranites were gearing up to enjoy the Outhouse Races this weekend but COVID has packed another punch and the event has been cancelled.

The race was set to go in Historic Downtown this Sunday, Sept. 19. 

With rising COVID-19 numbers and hospitalization rates the province announced a long list of new health restrictions to stop the spread. 

One of the lead organizers of the event, Dan Kroffat says it wasn't an easy decision to make. 

Winkler city council has unanimously voted down a proposal by the group, 'Things That Matter,' to declare Winkler a sanctuary city.

According to the grassroots group, the declaration would protect citizens against pandemic-related restrictions and mandates enforced by the federal and provincial governments.

Group spokesperson, Joshua Shetter, said the decision by council was not unexpected.

Prior to government officials addressing the province on Monday, September 15 evening, the COVID-19 numbers continue trend upward. 

In the past 24 hours, 1,609 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Alberta bringing the total active case count to 18,421.

The most prevalent number is the rising hospitalizations, as another 55 people are now in hospital being treated for the virus, bringing the total to 877.

ICU admissions increased by six for an all-time total high of 218 and of that number, 92.3 per cent are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.

The Government of Alberta is putting new health measures in place to combat a drastic rise in COVID-19 cases.

On Wednesday (Sept.15), Premier Jason Kenney declared Alberta is once again under a State of Public Health Emergency.

Kenney described the current situation in the province as a crisis, explaining recent trends show we may run out of intensive care beds within the next 10 days. He and chief medical officer of health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, also acknowledged the fast approach to reopening the province was a mistake and apologized for their "endemic" plan.