During Tuesday’s COVID-19 update, it was announced that hospitals and other health services facilities are now subject to the same protection that railways, highways, and pipelines receive under the Critical Infrastructure Defense Act.

Premier Kenney says, “Recent protests at hospitals have revealed the need to keep health-care workers safe and to make sure Albertans can receive critical care when they need it. All Canadians have the right to peaceful protest but blocking ambulances and preventing people from getting treatment is definitely not peaceful. Law enforcement is now fully empowered to make sure hospitals and health facilities are safe.”

In his first address as Health Minister, Jason Copping listed three key actions he plans to take:

  1. Increase baseline ICU capacity
  2. Reduce the pressure on hospitals by getting more Albertans vaccinated
  3. Prepare the healthcare system for future waves of COVID

Dr. Hinshaw provided the numbers that are indicative, once again, that the current crisis is that of the unvaccinated. There were another 18 deaths reported in the past 24 hours and Hinshaw says, “Of all those who have died from COVID-19 in the last 120 days, about 3 in 4 of them are not fully vaccinated against COVID. Almost 4 out of 5 of all those in the hospital for COVID-19, 91 per cent of those in ICU in the last 120 days were also not fully vaccinated.”

The numbers continue to escalate in the 4th wave of the pandemic. There were 1,246 new cases reported on Tuesday, September 23.

There are 1,100 people in the hospital an increase of 37 patients in 24 hours.

 ICU admissions decreased by two to 263.

To date, 83.2 per cent of Albertans have now received one shot of COVID vaccine while 74 per cent are fully immunized with two shots.

Cochrane currently has 108 active COVID-19 cases while Rocky View County has 132 cases.