COVID-19

Despite the Omicron variant causing COVID-19 cases in Alberta to skyrocket, the local fire department has managed to keep its members safe.

Only a couple of staff at the Fort Saskatchewan Fire Department have gotten sick with the coronavirus. Both members have since recovered.

Deputy director for emergency management Quinn Gillard explained they are closely monitoring the ongoing situation in the province. 

The Northwestern Health Unit says there are 6 active COVID-19 cases in local hospitals, with 2 residents in local Intensive Care Units.

The health unit’s daily reporting emails have been updated to include information that better represents the impact of COVID-19 in the region, due to PCR testing eligibility changes.

The current 7-day per cent positivity rate is listed as 17.3 per cent.

Some of us will be rolling up our sleeves, for the fourth time.

Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, provided the latest COVID-19 update and announced a new series of vaccines for immunocompromised Albertans.

Fourth doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are being made available to immunocompromised Albertans over 18, Hinshaw said on Tuesday. Beginning Jan.20, those who are eligible will be able to book appointments five months after their third dose. 

There are 620 people in the hospital, with 588 of those people having active cases of the virus. 

In intensive care, there are 48 people, with 46 of those cases being active.

New hospitalizations by health region include:

• 413 in Winnipeg, 397 cases active
• 68 in Prairie Mountain, 62 cases active
• 55 in Southern Health, 49 cases active
• 47 in Interlake-Eastern, 45 cases active
• 37 in Northern, 35 cases active

Three more people have died since Monday, totalling 1,466 deaths.

The Northwestern Health Unit (NWHU) has reported 33 new cases of COVID-19 in the region.

There are currently three NWHU residents in hospital with COVID-19, two of which are in local hospitals.

The health unit says the overall hospital occupancy in the region is 68.8 per cent, overall acute care occupancy is 78.9 per cent, and the overall Intensive Care Unit (ICU) occupancy is 14.3 per cent.

The health unit notes that there is no one with COVID-19 in local Intensive Care Units.

The Alzheimer Society of Calgary, under which Cochrane falls, works 365 days a year to bring awareness and support about dementia to our community.

January is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, and the Alzheimer Society would like to highlight some of the specific programs available to help patients, families, and caregivers.

Of course, the Alzheimer Society, like all organizations has been impacted by COVID-19 and has moved all of its presentations online plus a plethora of resources can be found there as well.

A number of First Nation communities in northwestern Ontario have partnered together to call for immediate support from the provincial and federal governments to prevent large-scale COVID-19 outbreaks in the north.

Sioux Lookout area Chiefs passed the resolution earlier this month after the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority hosted a Special Emergency Chiefs Meeting to discuss the government’s response to COVID-19 outbreaks in their communities, including in Bearskin Lake.

The COVID-19 numbers update for Monday, January 17 shows some marked increases since Friday. 

On Monday morning, students across Manitoba packed up their books on their first day back in class, hoping to make a statement about their learning conditions.

HSAA president Mike Parker says the full extent of the province's ambulance service crisis is being hidden and is calling upon the government to take three steps to ensure the future of the entire health care system.

In a press conference this morning, Parker, president of the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA), asked the government to protect the mental and physical health of healthcare professionals and develop a plan to retain and recruit healthcare professionals.