-Alberta now has more than 17-hundred cases of Covid-19, while the number of deaths has risen to 46.
And Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw, says the province has once again expanded access to testing:
“You have previously heard me say we were not able to test every Albertan with a cough or runny nose. But we believe we may now be at the point where we can do so. That is why, effective immediately, we are expanding eligibility for testing to anyone in Alberta who has a fever, cough, shortness of breath, runny nose or sore throat.”
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-In the meantime, a provincewide trial is going to investigate the effectiveness of an anti-malaria drug called HCQ, to see if it can keep people at the highest risk of developing a severe illness because of Covid-19, out of the hospital. The clinical trial is being led by researchers at the U of A and U of C. 16-hundred Albertans are being recruited to take part.
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-Premier Jason Kenney says he has no plan to wait for Health Canada to greenlight medications or tests, if what he calls “peer countries” have already approved them. Kenney says he trusts Health Canada, but says there is too much red tape to get through. Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Theresa Tam has said Canada has some concerns about tests and medications produced in other countries but Kenney says that’s like saying our friends are approving things dangerous to the public.
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Chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam says 90 per cent of Canadians felled by the deadly virus are over the age of 60 and half of Canada’s death toll can be traced back to long-term care homes. Tam is urging all Canadians to continue to stay home, in order to cut the mortality rate for the most at risk seniors.
This document provides guidance specific to the COVID-19 pandemic in long term care homes:
Individuals responsible for policy development, implementation and oversight of infection prevention and control measures at specific LTCHs should be familiar with relevant infection prevention and control (IPC) background documents on Routine Practices and Additional Precautions and occupational health and safety legislation. The term “staff” is intended to include anyone working in LTCHs, including but not limited to health care workers.
Important measures to prevent introduction and spread of COVID-19 in LTCHs:
- Essential volunteers and visitors should be restricted to those deemed essential, meaning necessary to basic personal care (e.g. feeding), medical (e.g. phlebotomy) or compassionate (e.g. end of life) resident care, and in some cases visitors may be prohibited
- All staff and essential volunteers and visitors must be trained and monitored for compliance with putting on and wearing a mask for the duration of their shift or visit, and discarding it afterward, and also to ensure vigilance in properly assessing the need for additional personal protective equipment (PPE), putting it on, wearing and removing it to minimize contamination of themselves and the immediate environment
- Staff must support essential volunteers and visitors in appropriate use of PPE
- All staff will use Droplet and Contact precautions, in addition to Routine Practices, for all care of residents with suspected or confirmed COVID- 19
- All staff and essential volunteers or visitors must be trained on other IPC measures such as proper hand hygiene and the importance of maintaining a 2 metre spatial distance between residents
- All staff must work proactively to identify suspect or confirmed cases of COVID-19 in staff, residents, and any essential visitors, with a low threshold for testing (e.g. even mild symptoms)
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-The Cargill beef plant in High River is being slowed to one shift a day instead of two as a way of maintaining physical distancing. That’s going to cut the amount of processing to less than half of what it normally does. The workers’ union wants the plant shut down for two weeks, after a number of employees tested positive for Covid-19. Other plants across the country and in the U-S are going through the same thing right now.
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-The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association says given these uncertain times, and the fact a number of processing plants are either closing for a while or scaling back to deal with Covid-19 cases among employees, or to put more space between them, it’s time to bring back the program that was put into place during the BSE crisis.
The moves at the plants is going to “create challenges” for farmers and ranchers, and could eventually affect consumers as well.
Association President Bob Lowe says they learned a lot during BSE and says they can use the same policies that got them through that.
Part of it would have farmers put cattle on maintenance rations until they can be shipped. Another idea is to boost capacity at provincial plants.
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The Bank of Canada has issued a memo asking businesses to NOT ban cash payments right now. The Bank says polymer notes can be safely washed with a little soap and water and besides, not everyone has a credit or debit card. By the way, you CANNOT wash the old paper bills. It will ruin them.
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