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On Monday, Hinshaw said the exemption was made as a last resort in late July to “address staffing gaps” at the centre.
“I do not make exemptions lightly but I also need to ensure residents get the care they need and it’s done in a way that does not put other residents at risk…This is a crucial part of containing any outbreak.”
She said none of the facility’s regular workers are employed at other care centres and the majority of outside personnel there are also not working at other sites.
“All staff must comply with strict precautions to prevent the spread of the virus outside the facility. This is a serious situation,” said Hinshaw, adding no other infections have been identified at the facility since Aug. 2.
While Hinshaw continued to urge Albertans to follow precautions to stymie the virus, some patient numbers have been trending downwards.
Since July 31, the number of active cases has fallen from 1,386 to 1,090 while hospitalizations have dropped from 86 to 66, with ICU admissions now three fewer at 14.
The number of recoveries in the province has now exceeded 10,300, said Alberta Health.
A crucial element in reducing those numbers, said Hinshaw, is returning test results quickly to ensure those infected don’t pass on the disease.
The average turnaround time from swabbing to delivering results in Alberta is now two days, she said.
“I share this concern — this is too long,” said Hinshaw.
“We have put some measures in place and are working on more to reduce these wait times and to speed up other components in the testing process in the coming weeks.”
on Twitter: @BillKaufmannjrn
