ALBERTA – New public health measures have been introduced in long-term care facilities after Alberta recorded its highest number of day-to-day COVID-19 related deaths to date.
“We are exploring every option to prevent illness and deaths and to keep people in continuing care facilities safe and healthy,” Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said. “We are taking new steps to prevent the spread of illness.”
All workers at these sites will now be required to wear a mask at all times when providing direct patient care or working in areas that are within two-metres of others.
Hinshaw reported 49 new cases COVID-19 in Alberta as of Friday (April 10) bringing the provincial total to 1,500. Of these cases, 713 patients have recovered.
As of April 10, the Bow Valley had 17 positive cases. In the Municipal District of Bighorn region, formerly known as the Canmore region, which includes Canmore and some MD hamlets, there were 14 positive cases – six active and eight recovered. The ID No. 9 region, formerly known as the Banff region, which includes Banff and Lake Louise had three positive cases – all active.
A total of seven people have died in the last 24-hours. The total number of COVID-19 deaths in the province stands at 39 people.
Hinshaw said four of the deaths occurred at the McKenzie Towne Continuing Care Facility. The long-term care facility has had 17 residents die as a result of COVID 19.
Requiring workers to wear masks at all times when providing care to patients or working within two metres of others will help minimize asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic health care workers from transmitting the virus to others, Hinshaw said.
She added that the province has added an additional provision requiring long-term care works to only work at one continuing-care facility site. This will be required at all long-term care and supportive living sites across the province.
The measure will help prevent the spread of COVID-19 between facilities, Hinshaw added, explaining that there have already been several outbreaks in facilities in the province.
“We know we have a problem with cases in long-term care facilities,” Hinshaw said. “We are doing everything we can to prevent any more outbreaks and to deal with the ones that we currently have.”
These requirements will be implemented by the end of next week and Alberta Health Services is working to ensure residents receive the care they need while mitigating concerns about the supply of staff at each site.
“These steps are necessary to prevent the spread to and among elderly people who are at high risk of severe outcomes from this illness,” Hinshaw said.
She added that these health measures are being rolled out next week to ensure that facilities have access to enough masks and personal protective equipment to ensure the policy is followed.
Alberta Health Services is expanding the testing for those in long-term care facilities, she added to include subtle signs of the illness so it can be detected earlier before becoming more severe.
Hinshaw said the symptom expansion for long-term residents is broader in comparison to the general public, in part because some residents may experience cognitive impairment and may not be able to vocalize their symptoms. Some of the symptoms that have been added include a hoarse voice or difficulty swallowing along with the onset of a headache or muscle aches.
Effective immediately Hinshaw said Alberta Health Services has implemented a policy that all health care workers providing direct care or who are in care areas must wear a surgical or procedural mask in situations where social distancing is not possible in Alberta Health Services facilities or contract-provider community settings.
This policy has been introduced to prevent inadvertent COVID-19 exposure from health care workers who may be asymptomatic but still infectious. She added health care workers have been required to wear masks when carrying for patients who had an illness.
The new measure has been introduced based on emerging evidence that there is a higher risk of asymptomatic of pre-symptomatic of transmission the previously thought.
“These efforts will be even more important over the long weekend and in the coming weeks as we work hard to keep long-term care and continuing care facilities residents safe and healthy,” Hinshaw said.
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