Alberta’s chief medical officer of health revealed Monday who in the province will be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine in the next two phases of its rollout.
At a news conference in Edmonton, Dr. Deena Hinshaw said about 368,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the province to date, with Alberta still in Phase 2A of its rollout plan.
Once 2A is complete, the province’s top doctor said Alberta will continue to focus on people most at risk of severe outcome from COVID-19 because of “limited supply” of the vaccine.
“I know many Albertans have been anxiously waiting to see if their conditions will be eligible,” Hinshaw acknowledged. “I appreciate their patience.”
In Phase 2B, Albertans born between 1957 and 2005 who live with what Alberta Health describes as certain “high-risk underlying health conditions” will be eligible for the vaccine.
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Hinshaw said as long as there is no supply shortage, health authorities expect Phase 2B to begin in April.
Among the health conditions that make Albertans eligible in Phase 2B are congenital heart disease, chronic heart failure, chronic respiratory disease, chronic kidney diseases, certain chronic neurological diseases, diabetes that requires medication as well as people undergoing chemotherapy or treatment for HIV. The list of what conditions make one eligible for vaccination in Phase 2B is extensive. For a complete list, click here.
“I appreciate this list is complicated,” Hinshaw said, adding that Albertans should check the comprehensive list of who is eligible that has been posted on the Alberta government’s website. “This list is based on the recommendations of the Alberta advisory committee on immunization.
“The health conditions that we are prioritizing were carefully considered based on our experience in Alberta and evidence from around the world. All of these conditions are associated with a higher risk of death or hospitalization, even in younger age groups, when comparing their risks to those people aged 50 to 64 with no underlying conditions. These conditions are complex and every patient is unique.”
1:43 Alberta identifies health conditions eligible for COVID-19 vaccination in Phase 2B
Alberta identifies health conditions eligible for COVID-19 vaccination in Phase 2B
Hinshaw said the province plans to use the honour system so that people who are eligible for vaccination in Phase 2A will not be required to prove they have one of the medical conditions listed. She noted that like in Phase 2A, people eligible to be vaccinated in Phase 2B will be able to book their appointments through pharmacies or through Alberta Health Services when their birth year becomes eligible.
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Hinshaw also outlined who will be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine shot in Phase 2C, once Phase 2B is complete. Phase 2C will see health-care workers working in patient care facilities or providing direct patient care in the community become eligible for vaccination.
“Protecting health-care workers who have been caring for COVID-19 patients for more than a year provides protection to every patient accessing care across the health-care system,” Hinshaw said.
Hinshaw said Phase 2C will also see workers at meat-packing plants become eligible for the vaccine.
Others who will become eligible for vaccination in Phase 2C are primary caregivers of Albertans whom Alberta Health says “are most at risk of severe outcomes.”
“(We are) recognizing the important support that loves ones play in care of those at risk,” Hinshaw said.
2:20 Hinshaw clarifies eligibility for Phase 2C of Alberta’s COVID-19 vaccination plan
Hinshaw clarifies eligibility for Phase 2C of Alberta’s COVID-19 vaccination plan
The list of people eligible for vaccination in Phase 2C is extensive. For a complete breakdown of Phase 2C eligibility, click here.
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Hinshaw comments on AstraZeneca concerns
Hinshaw was asked about a number of European countries suspending the use of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine amid reports that some recipients experienced blood clots after being vaccinated with the product.
She said “vaccine safety is something that we take extremely seriously” and noted the version of the AstraZeneca vaccine that is used in Alberta is called Covishield.
“At this point in time, there’s nothing to indicate that the particular vaccine we’re using in Alberta is causing any kind of safety signals like the ones that we’re seeing in Europe,” Hinshaw explained. “We have been monitoring in Alberta, not just our own vaccine experiences after people have received the vaccine, but of course watching closely around the world.
“It’s really important for people to know that when the issues were identified in a small number of people in a few countries in Europe… we’re looking at several factors.”
Hinshaw said one of those factors is whether health issues reported in some people who received a particular vaccine is more frequent “than you would expect in the general population.”
“I want to reiterate that there have been more than 11-million doses given in the U.K., and more than five-million doses given in Europe, and the number of reported incidents is very small,” she said.
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“In addition to that, sometimes when there is a particular lot or batch where there’s some issue that’s flagged, that particular lot or batch is held back, and as you know, we don’t have the same lot or batch that was delivered in Europe.”
As of Sunday, Alberta Health said 368,124 doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered in the province, with 91,593 people having received both their doses. Since the vaccination process began in the province, Alberta health authorities have identified that 143 “adverse events following immunization” had been reported to them.
Latest COVID-19 numbers in Alberta
Hinshaw said Monday that Alberta Health identified 364 new cases of COVID-19 over the past 24 hours out of about 6,600 tests. She said the province’s positivity rate is at about 5.5 per cent.
Of the new cases, Hinshaw said 65 involve variants of concern.
Alberta Health said that as of Monday, it has identified 985 COVID-19 cases involving variants of concern with 474 of those being considered active cases.
Hinshaw noted Alberta’s R value — an indicator of the rate of spread in the community — over the past week was 1.07.
“We must redouble our efforts,” she said, “so we can drive Alberta’s R value below 1.00.”
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Any R value of 1.00 or more is generally considered an indication that transmission of the novel coronavirus is increasing.
Alberta Health said Monday that it had confirmed three more COVID-19 fatalities. All three cases included comorbidities.
The people who died were a man in his 60s in the South zone, a man in his 80s in the Edmonton zone and a woman in her 90s in the Calgary zone.
“My deepest sympathies go to the friends, family and colleagues,” Hinshaw said.
As of Monday afternoon, there were 4,811 active COVID-19 cases in Alberta. Of those, 255 were in hospital and 42 were being treated in intensive care units.
1:04 ‘We certainly are seeing a growth of variant cases’: Hinshaw on COVID-19 variants in Alberta
TORONTO – Roots Corp. may have built its brand on all things comfy and cosy, but its CEO says activewear is now “really becoming a core part” of the brand.
The category, which at Roots spans leggings, tracksuits, sports bras and bike shorts, has seen such sustained double-digit growth that Meghan Roach plans to make it a key part of the business’ future.
“It’s an area … you will see us continue to expand upon,” she told analysts on a Friday call.
The Toronto-based retailer’s push into activewear has taken shape over many years and included several turns as the official designer and supplier of Team Canada’s Olympic uniform.
But consumers have had plenty of choice when it comes to workout gear and other apparel suited to their sporting needs. On top of the slew of athletic brands like Nike and Adidas, shoppers have also gravitated toward Lululemon Athletica Inc., Alo and Vuori, ramping up competition in the activewear category.
Roach feels Roots’ toehold in the category stems from the fit, feel and following its merchandise has cultivated.
“Our product really resonates with (shoppers) because you can wear it through multiple different use cases and occasions,” she said.
“We’ve been seeing customers come back again and again for some of these core products in our activewear collection.”
Her remarks came the same day as Roots revealed it lost $5.2 million in its latest quarter compared with a loss of $5.3 million in the same quarter last year.
The company said the second-quarter loss amounted to 13 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Aug. 3, the same as a year earlier.
In presenting the results, Roach reminded analysts that the first half of the year is usually “seasonally small,” representing just 30 per cent of the company’s annual sales.
Sales for the second quarter totalled $47.7 million, down from $49.4 million in the same quarter last year.
The move lower came as direct-to-consumer sales amounted to $36.4 million, down from $37.1 million a year earlier, as comparable sales edged down 0.2 per cent.
The numbers reflect the fact that Roots continued to grapple with inventory challenges in the company’s Cooper fleece line that first cropped up in its previous quarter.
Roots recently began to use artificial intelligence to assist with daily inventory replenishments and said more tools helping with allocation will go live in the next quarter.
Beyond that time period, the company intends to keep exploring AI and renovate more of its stores.
It will also re-evaluate its design ranks.
Roots announced Friday that chief product officer Karuna Scheinfeld has stepped down.
Rather than fill the role, the company plans to hire senior level design talent with international experience in the outdoor and activewear sectors who will take on tasks previously done by the chief product officer.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, are set to resume today as a strike that has stopped most services drags into a second week.
No timeline has been set for the length of the negotiations, but Joe McCann, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they are willing to stay there as long as it takes, even if talks drag on all night.
About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people unable to navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last Tuesday, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.
Hundreds of drivers rallied outside TransLink’s head office earlier this week, calling for the transportation provider to intervene in the dispute with Transdev, which was contracted to oversee HandyDART service.
Transdev said earlier this week that it will provide a reply to the union’s latest proposal on Thursday.
A statement from the company said it “strongly believes” that their employees deserve fair wages, and that a fair contract “must balance the needs of their employees, clients and taxpayers.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
MONTREAL – Travel company Transat AT Inc. reported a loss in its latest quarter compared with a profit a year earlier as its revenue edged lower.
The parent company of Air Transat says it lost $39.9 million or $1.03 per diluted share in its quarter ended July 31.
The result compared with a profit of $57.3 million or $1.49 per diluted share a year earlier.
Revenue in what was the company’s third quarter totalled $736.2 million, down from $746.3 million in the same quarter last year.
On an adjusted basis, Transat says it lost $1.10 per share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of $1.10 per share a year earlier.
Transat chief executive Annick Guérard says demand for leisure travel remains healthy, as evidenced by higher traffic, but consumers are increasingly price conscious given the current economic uncertainty.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
