Prime Minister of Alberta, health minister to speak at COVID-19 update on Monday afternoon
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney and Health Minister Jason Copping will attend a COVID-19 update Monday afternoon.
Kenney and Copping will join Alberta Health Services CEO Verna Yiu and chief medical officer Dr Deena Hinshaw for an update at 3:30 p.m. Global News that will live stream media availability in post this story.
A media announcement on availability said officials will provide updates on COVID-19 in Alberta and the ongoing work to protect public health.
This will be the first COVID-19 update Alberta has held since Canada identified its first cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 over the weekend, in Ottawa.
Read more:
Canada finds first cases of Omicron variant COVID-19 in Ontario. Here’s what we know
On Monday morning, Ontario’s top doctor, Dr Kieran Moore confirmed two travelers identified as Canada’s first cases of the Omicron variant who entered the country via Montreal International Airport- Trudeau before continuing on to Ottawa.
Ottawa Public Health is currently conducting contact tracing to see if anyone else has contracted the virus associated with the original two cases.
Moore said Monday that the province is currently looking at four other cases – two more in Ottawa and two in Hamilton – as possible cases of the Omicron variant.
Read more:
Can Omicron overcome the Delta COVID-19 variant? Scientists search for answers
On Friday, Hinshaw took to Twitter to say that Alberta’s gene sequencing program can detect mutations in the virus, including new strains.
Read more:
Hinshaw working to reassure Albertans after new COVID variant Omicron identified
Monday’s update also comes a day before Alberta Health Services’ deadline for a mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policy for all employees.
At the end of August, AHS announced that by October 31, all staff, paramedics and midwives, students, volunteers and contracted health care providers must be vaccinated. full strains against COVID-19.
On October 22, AHS announced it was extending that deadline to November 30. With the pressure of the fourth wave of COVID-19, AHS said it wanted to make sure it created every opportunity for employees. vaccinations and submit proof.
Read more:
Alberta Health Services extends COVID-19 vaccine mandate deadlines for employees
As of Friday afternoon, there were 5,017 active COVID-19 cases in Alberta. There are 455 people hospitalized with the disease, of which 90 are being treated in the intensive care facility.
To date, 3,235 people have died from COVID-19 in Alberta.
View links »
© 2021 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
.
