Alberta Is Getting Help From The Canadian Government To Combat Its Fourth Wave Of COVID-19
The Red Cross and Armed Forces are getting involved.
The Government of Canada is sending help to Alberta as a fourth wave of COVID-19 continues to impact the province.
According to a release from Public Safety Canada on Saturday, October 2, the Canadian Armed Forces will be providing up to eight critical care nurses, and the Canadian Red Cross will be sending up to 20 medical professionals to the province.
Following a request for federal assistance from #Alberta, @CanadianForces and @redcrosscanada will be deploying staff in the coming days to help with the response to the fourth wave of #COVID19 https://ow.ly/jCHh50GkN0H— Public Safety Canada (@Public Safety Canada) 1633206728
Government officials said the critical care nurses are expected to be in position by Monday, October 4, and they are working to confirm where and how the nurses will be placed within Alberta's health care system.
"The Canadian Armed Forces, Canadian Red Cross, and health professionals have stepped up time and again over the past 19 months to answer the call to protect people, and I want to thank all those on the front lines who continue to keep Canadians safe," said Bill Blair, the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness in the release.
On September 21, Premier Jason Kenney said that the province was planning for a "worst-case" scenario and had been in touch with various federal agencies for potential support.
"Our planning includes potential aeromedical evacuation capability from the Canadian Armed Forces, including getting more personnel skilled in patient management and transfers that can help support relocating patients to hospitals outside of the province if needed," Kenney had said during the press conference.
Alberta recently enacted new regulations such as its version of a vaccine passport called the Restriction Exemptions Program which started on Monday, September 20 that businesses could voluntarily opt-in or out of.
In late September, two doctors in the province recently called for "fire break" closures and restrictions to help curb the rise in cases.
As of Thursday, September 30, Alberta had 1,066 patients in hospitals, including 263 people in ICUs.
Health Canada has a robust website with all the latest information on COVID-19 vaccines and can answer any questions you may have.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
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