Premier Jason Kenney (Courtesy: Government of Alberta livestream / YouTube)

By Shaun Penner

Continuing Care centres

Alberta to ease some restrictions on continuing care centres

Apr 26, 2021 | 4:32 PM

Alberta will be easing some restrictions surrounding continuing care facilities, as many residents and staff at such facilities have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. There has also been a sharp decrease in active cases in such settings.

Premier Jason Kenney says as of May 10, the number of designated family or support persons allowed for resident visits will be increasing from two to four.

Residents will be permitted to have indoor social visits with up to four other people from the same household. Social distancing, masking and other health measures will remain in place for these gatherings.

Outdoor visits will also be able to have up to 10 people including the resident.

Kenney says these changes are not mandatory for all sites and the easing of restrictions will be based on the design of the building or the wishes of residents.

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“Long-term care residents need joy, hope, and connection just like everyone else,” said Kenney.

“They have shouldered the burden of this pandemic and sacrificed important time with their loved ones and I’m glad that we are able to ease these restrictions, but we will continue to move cautiously, as evidence is still emerging on vaccines and their ability to both protect residents from variants and limit transmitting the virus to others.”

Kenney added that he knows elderly Albertans have faced one of the toughest burdens since the start of the pandemic.

“This virus is merciless and the seniors in continuing care and other facilities have been at the highest risk for serious outcomes from the virus including more severe illness, hospitalization and death.”

Kenney says more than 61 per cent (more than 1,200) of the COVID-19 deaths in Alberta have been residents of continuing care.

Kenney says Alberta’s vaccination program is working and keeping elderly Albertans safe.

He says that active cases in long-term care settings are down from 831 in late December to 44 last week. Cases in designated supportive living settings are down 92 per cent in the same time period

As, well, fatalities are down from 167 per week in late December to 25 per week over the past seven days.

“These results show us the power of vaccines and that is why despite seeing sharp rises in cases in other age groups, this third wave has not impacted those aged 70 and older in the same way. And that’s why we’re able to ease the restrictions on continuing care residents and their families,” says Kenney.

He added more than 83 per cent of Albertans aged 75 and over have been immunized. On the other end, 24 per cent of Albertans ages 40-49 have been vaccinated since the AstraZeneca vaccine was opened to that age group.

More than 87,000 doses of AstraZeneca have been administered and 55,000 appointments are booked for the next seven days.

(With files from Chris Brown, CHAT News Today)