Alberta
Alberta to focus on seniors residences, Increase support for caregivers – COVID update
From the Province of Alberta
Update 32: COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta (April 14 at 5:30 p.m.)
There are now 914 confirmed recovered cases of COVID-19 in the province.
With 138 new cases reported, the total number of cases in Alberta is 1,870.
Two Albertans have died since the last report, bringing the total deaths in the province to 48.
Latest updates
- Increased funding is being provided for Alberta caregivers to expand supports and resources.
- Military families needing child care will now be able to access reopened child care centres.
- Cases have been identified in all zones across the province:
- 1,242 cases in the Calgary zone
- 402 cases in the Edmonton zone
- 107 cases in the North zone
- 74 cases in the Central zone
- 36 cases in the South zone
- Nine cases in zones yet to be confirmed
- Of these cases, there are currently 44 people in hospital, 14 of whom have been admitted to intensive care units (ICU).
- 276 cases are suspected of being community acquired.
- A total of 33 people have died in the Calgary zone, eight people have died in the Edmonton zone, six people have died in the North zone, and one person has died in the Central zone.
- One of the recent deaths was at McKenzie Towne Continuing Care Centre in Calgary and the other was at Shepherd’s Care Kensington in Edmonton.
- Stronger outbreak measures have been put in place at continuing care facilities. To date, 214 cases have been confirmed at these facilities, with a total of 30 deaths.
- There have been 79,695 people tested for COVID-19 and a total of 82,649 tests performed by the lab. There were 2,868 tests completed in the last 24 hours.
- Any individual exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 including cough, fever, runny nose, sore throat or shortness of breath, is now eligible for testing. People can access testing by completing the COVID-19 self-assessment online. A separate self-assessment tool is available for health-care and shelter workers, enforcement and first responders.
- Effective April 15, continuing care workers will be required to wear masks at all times when providing direct patient care or working in patient care areas.
- Starting April 16, workers in long-term care and designated supportive living sites will only be allowed to work at one location. This requirement must be fully implemented no later than April 23.
Continuous masking in health-care settings
More than 1.5 million masks have been shipped to 941 long-term care facilities, designated supportive living facilities, and addiction and mental health facilities across the province to support Alberta Health Services’ (AHS) Guidelines for Continuous Masking in Healthcare settings. AHS has also shipped and increased stock of four million masks to all AHS, Covenant Health, and subsidiary facilities. This week, 1,470 pharmacies will receive a total of 147,000 masks and 2.4 million gloves.
Increased supports for Alberta caregivers
The Alberta government is providing $3 million to Caregivers Alberta, a non-profit organization, to expand supports and resources for caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic and into the future.
Psychosocial, along with other peer and community supports, are currently available through the toll-free caregiver advisor line at 1-877-453-5088 and online at caregiversalberta.ca for all caregivers, including those caring for someone with COVID-19 or in self-isolation.
Access to justice
The Provincial Court of Alberta has clarified its process regarding the criminal fine payment extension. For more information: https://albertacourts.ca/pc/resources/announcements.
Child care for military families
Military families needing child care will now be able to access reopened child care centres. Military personnel were originally not included in the list of provincial workers who can access child care, as they are overseen by the federal government.
The Alberta government is ensuring child care is not a barrier for military families so they can continue their essential work supporting, protecting and keeping Albertans safe.
Reducing spring wildfires and protecting municipalities
Alberta Wildfire is hiring 200 additional firefighters, invoking a fire ban in in the Forest Protection Area, implementing off-highway vehicle (OHV) restrictions on Crown land in the Forest Protection Area, increasing fine violations and funding $20 million more in community FireSmart initiatives to prepare for the upcoming wildfire season during COVID-19.
Alberta Parks is also implementing a fire ban in parks and protected areas. These early preparedness measures will ensure the province can effectively focus resources where they are needed most in the event of multiple emergencies happening at the same time.
For more information on wildfires, download the Alberta Wildfire app. Up-to-date information on fire restrictions, fire bans, OHV restrictions and general wildfire information is available at albertafirebans.ca or by calling 1-866-FYI-FIRE (1-866-394-3473). To report a wildfire, call 310-FIRE (310-3473) toll-free, from anywhere in Alberta.
Road tests
Alberta is extending the suspension of road tests until the public health emergency ends and while procedures are developed to conduct road tests that prevent against the spread of COVID-19.
Road tests will resume when it is safe to do so. Albertans who have a road test cancelled as a result of this suspension of service will be able to rebook online once the public health emergency ends or later, at no additional charge.
Mental health supports
Confidential supports are available to help with mental health concerns. The Mental Health Help Line at 1-877-303-2642 and the Addiction Help Line at 1-866-332-2322 are available between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., seven days a week. Online resources provide advice on handling stressful situations or ways to talk with children.
Family violence prevention
A 24-hour Family Violence Information Line is available at 310-1818 to get anonymous help.
Alberta’s One Line for Sexual Violence is available at 1-866-402-8000, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., in more than 170 languages.
Information sheets and other resources on family violence prevention are available at alberta.ca/COVID19.
Quick facts
- The most important measures that Albertans can take to prevent respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, is to practise good hygiene.
- This includes cleaning your hands regularly for at least 20 seconds, avoiding touching your face, coughing or sneezing into your elbow or sleeve, and disposing of tissues appropriately.
- Anyone who has health concerns or is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should complete an online COVID-19 self-assessment.
- For recommendations on protecting yourself and your community, visit alberta.ca/COVID19.
Increased supports for Alberta caregivers
Government is providing $3 million to Caregivers Alberta to expand supports for caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic and into the future.
Funding to the non-profit organization will help expand support programs and resources for the almost one million Albertans who are caregivers for family and friends, and ensure the many dedicated Albertans caring for their loved ones at home or in the community have access to the supports they need to maintain their well-being.
“Caregivers are essential to the well-being and quality of life of over one million Albertans. This is particularly true as we deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. Funding to increase supports for caregivers is part of our government’s commitment to ensure that all Albertans are taken care of – during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.”
Caregivers Alberta is the only community organization in Alberta dedicated to the diverse needs of all Alberta caregivers. Funding will help Caregivers Alberta expand supports and increase the reach of these supports so more Albertans can benefit. Supports include:
- Developing a public awareness campaign to highlight the importance of caregivers and their work.
- Compiling an inventory of caregiver supports across the province.
- Expanding the hours of the Caregiver Advisor phone line.
- Establishing a referral system to link caregivers and Caregivers Alberta through health-care providers.
- Updating and expanding support programs.
- Providing employers with resources to support caregivers in the workplace.
- Developing a coaching program for caregivers.
“Developing effective caregiver supports so Albertans can age well in their homes and communities is a priority for our government. This funding will make a big difference in the lives of many Albertans and I look forward to seeing the positive impact these additional supports will have on the lives of caregivers and those of their loved ones.”
“Without family and friend caregivers, our health-care system would simply collapse – especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding will help support the almost one million caregivers across the province with caregiver-focused programs and services.”
Psychosocial, along with other peer and community supports, are currently available through the toll-free caregiver advisor line at 1-877-453-5088 and online at caregiversalberta.ca for all caregivers, including those caring for someone with COVID-19 or in self-isolation. Medical concerns or questions about COVID-19 or how best to care for someone with COVID-19, are best directed to Alberta Health Services’ Health Link at 811. For up-to-date information on COVID-19 and tips on how to reduce your risk, visit Help prevent the spread.
Alberta has a comprehensive response to COVID-19 including measures to enhance social distancing, screening and testing. Financial supports are helping Alberta families and businesses.
From the Fraser Institute
After the Smith government recently announced its shift to a new approach for funding hospitals, known as “activity-based funding” (ABF), defenders of the status quo in Alberta were quick to argue ABF will not improve health care in the province. Their claims are simply incorrect. In reality, based on the experiences of other better-performing universal health-care systems, ABF will help reduce wait times for Alberta patients and provide better value-for-money for taxpayers.
First, it’s important to understand Alberta is not breaking new ground with this approach. Other developed countries shifted to the ABF model starting in the early 1990s.
Indeed, after years of paying their hospitals a lump-sum annual budget for surgical care (like Alberta currently), other countries with universal health care recognized this form of payment encouraged hospitals to deliver fewer services by turning each patient into a cost to be minimized. The shift to ABF, which compensates hospitals for the actual services they provide, flips the script—hospitals in these countries now see patients as a source of revenue.
In fact, in many universal health-care countries, these reforms began so long ago that some are now on their second or even third generation of ABF, incorporating further innovations to encourage an even greater focus on quality.
For example, in Sweden in the early 1990s, counties that embraced ABF enjoyed a potential cost savings of 13 per cent over non-reforming counties that stuck with budgets. In Stockholm, one study measured an 11 per cent increase in hospital activity overall alongside a 1 per cent decrease in costs following the introduction of ABF. Moreover, according to the study, ABF did not reduce access for older patients or patients with more complex conditions. In England, the shift to ABF in the early to mid-2000s helped increase hospital activity and reduce the cost of care per patient, also without negatively affecting quality of care.
Multi-national studies on the shift to ABF have repeatedly shown increases in the volume of care provided, reduced costs per admission, and (perhaps most importantly for Albertans) shorter wait times. Studies have also shown ABF may lead to improved quality and access to advanced medical technology for patients.
Clearly, the naysayers who claim that ABF is some sort of new or untested reform, or that Albertans are heading down an unknown path with unmanageable and unexpected risks, are at the very least uninformed.
And what of those theoretical drawbacks?
Some critics claim that ABF may encourage faster discharges of patients to reduce costs. But they fail to note this theoretical drawback also exists under the current system where discharging higher-cost patients earlier can reduce the drain on hospital budgets. And crucially, other countries have implemented policies to prevent these types of theoretical drawbacks under ABF, which can inform Alberta’s approach from the start.
Critics also argue that competition between private clinics, or even between clinics and hospitals, is somehow a bad thing. But all of the developed world’s top performing universal health-care systems, with the best outcomes and shortest wait times, include a blend of both public and private care. No one has done it with the naysayers’ fixation on government provision.
And finally, some critics claim that, under ABF, private clinics will simply focus on less-complex procedures for less-complex patients to achieve greater profit, leaving public hospitals to perform more complex and thus costly surgeries. But in fact, private clinics alleviate pressure on the public system, allowing hospitals to dedicate their sophisticated resources to complex cases. To be sure, the government must ensure that complex procedures—no matter where they are performed—must always receive appropriate levels of funding and similarly that less-complex procedures are also appropriately funded. But again, the vast and lengthy experience with ABF in other universal health-care countries can help inform Alberta’s approach, which could then serve as an example for other provinces.
Alberta’s health-care system simply does not deliver for patients, with its painfully long wait times and poor access to physicians and services—despite its massive price tag. With its planned shift to activity-based funding, the province has embarked on a path to better health care, despite any false claims from the naysayers. Now it’s crucial for the Smith government to learn from the experiences of others and get this critical reform right.
Nadeem Esmail
Senior Fellow, Fraser Institute
2025 Federal Election
Group that added dozens of names to ballot in Poilievre’s riding plans to do it again
From LifeSiteNews
The ‘Longest Ballot Committee’ is looking to run hundreds of protest candidates against Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre in an upcoming by-election in the Alberta.
A group called the “Longest Ballot Committee” is looking to run hundreds of protest candidates against Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre in an upcoming by-election in the Alberta Battle River–Crowfoot riding, just like they did in his former Ottawa-area Carelton riding in last week’s election.
The Longest Ballot Committee is a grassroots group that packs ridings with protest candidates and is looking to place 200 names in the Battle River–Crowfoot riding. The riding was won by Conservative-elect MP Damien Kurek who garnered over 80 percent of the vote, but has since said he is going to vacate his seat to allow Poilievre to run a by-election and reclaim his seat in Parliament in a Conservative-safe area.
In an email to its followers, the committee said “dozens and dozens” of volunteers are ready to sign up as candidates for the yet-to-be-called by-election. The initiative follows after the group did the same thing in Poilievre’s former Carelton riding which he lost last Monday, and which saw voters being given an extremely long ballot with 90 candidates.
The group asked people who want to run to send them their legal name and information by May 12, adding that if about 200 people sign up they will “make a long ballot happen.”
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