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COVID virus -- The Canadian Press
Kenney: Vaccines doing what they're supposed to do

Situation will get worse before it gets better as Omicron spreads

Jan 14, 2022 | 12:42 PM

EDMONTON, AB. —

News from the federal pandemic briefing on Friday (Jan 14) morning, is that the situation is going to get worse in many parts of the country in the next few weeks.

Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says the latest modelling suggests the Omicron variant will cause daily hospitalizations to surge. Ontario continues to post daily hospitalization records.

The Public Health Agency of Canada expects COVID-19 will put a significant strain on health-care systems over the next several weeks but Tam is hoping cases and hospitalizations will soon peak.

Meantime, Rising case counts and the rapid spread of the Omicron variant have led Alberta to scale back which COVID-19 outbreaks it will report.

Only outbreaks in acute- and continuing-care facilities will be reported. On Thursday, Chief medical officer of health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, laid out the province’s decision on Twitter, saying the approach is in line with what other provinces are doing. Outbreaks at schools and workplaces will no longer be updated on the province’s website and Alberta Health Services will focus on investigating high-risk settings.

As of Thrusday, there were 62,377 active cases in the province, as Alberta continues to set new active COVID-19 case records daily and the positivity rate is close to 42 per cent as hospitalizations approach 800.

Premier Jason Kenney announced “And we know that these numbers only represent a fraction of the actual spread that’s been happening in the province.”

The premier urged people to get vaccinated and stay home when sick, saying they are the two most important things people can do to stop the spread and keep everyone safe. Evidence shows that even though there are more cases among vaccinated people compared to unvaccinated people, their cases will be mild.

“So please don’t be fooled by those who point to high case numbers right now arguing that it’s proof the vaccines aren’t working.”

He said nothing could be further from the truth.

“The vaccination rates of hospital patients confirm vaccines are doing their job, they’re doing what they’re supposed to do. Which is to prevent severe symptoms, severe outcomes, hospitalization and death.”

He added more than 70 per cent of the COVID patients in ICU are unvaccinated, who make up 10 per cent of the population.

There were 114 new cases in Lethbridge on Thursday. Chinook Regional Hospital has 18 inpatients with two in the ICU. Brooks Health Centre, Crowsnest Pass Health Centre and Pincher Creek Health Centre have one inpatient each.

There have been 17,548 cases of the Omicron variant identified in Alberta, up from 16,314 Wednesday.

There are currently 28 COVID-19 positive inpatients in the South Zone with four of those in the ICU. There are five inpatients at Medicine Hat Regional Hospital with two COVID-19 positive patients in the ICU.

There are 62,733 active cases in the province, up 1,504 in the past 24 hours, and 364,224 recovered cases in the province, up 4,498.

Alberta’s total cases from the start of the pandemic is 430,332.

There are 6,010 new cases in the province in the past 24 hours.

There are now 786 Albertans in hospital with COVID-19, 79 of which are in ICU, and 3,375 deaths.

The province completed 14,347 tests in the past 24 hours.

The positivity rate is about 41.8 per cent.

Alberta has administered 7,981,543 doses of vaccine at the latest update.

Kenney says a growing number of staff and students in isolation may mean return to online temporary at-home learning.

This is the reality of teaching and learning during COVID, he says.

“But I am pleased to say that school authority preparation, experience gained over the past two difficult years and the brief extension of the winter break last week served the education system well,” Kenney says.

Only a small number of school authorities have had to switch classes and grades to online learning, said Kenney, and others have the flexibility to make the right local decisions.

Some schools and school boards continue to wait for rapid test kits across Alberta. Supply chain issues are delaying delivery of kits coming from the federal government as those bought by the provincial government.

Kenney estimates the average Albertan will be able to get a rapid test kits at some point in January but can’t give an exact date.

Among new cases today, 19.3 per cent are unvaccinated, 1.5 per cent are partially vaccinated and 79.2 per cent are fully vaccinated.

Among current hospitalizations, 37.2 per cent are unvaccinated, 3.9 per cent are partially vaccinated and 58.8 per cent are fully vaccinated.

Province-wide, 85 per cent of Albertans five years old and up have received at least one dose of vaccine and 78 per cent have received two doses and 29.3 per cent have received three doses.

Among Alberta’s total population, 79.8 per cent have received at least one dose of vaccine and 73.3 per cent have received two doses 27.6 per cent have received three doses.

There are three city outbreaks listed on AHS website and one in Brooks.