EDMONTON – Hundreds of surgeries are expected to be cancelled this week, including brain surgery for an Edmonton-area cancer patient.

As COVID-19 spreads through Alberta again, people like Eric Mulder are stuck in a holding pattern.

“The first question I asked was, ‘When’s the new surgery date?’ and they told me there wasn’t one,” said Mulder.

Two months ago the 31-year-old had a seizure and was rushed to the Strathcona Community Hospital. Doctors there discovered a tumor in his brain.

“They told me, ‘OK, you need surgery as soon as possible,’ so they can choose their chemo and radiation options.”

His surgery was booked for Wednesday at the University of Alberta Hospital. He took time off work and his wife’s family flew in from Newfoundland to help care for him. Less than 24 hours before the surgery Mulder was called and told the procedure was postponed.

“Now that everything is up in the air again, stress and anxiety is right back up there.”

Surgeries across the province have been delayed due to a surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations. AHS announced Wednesday that it was cancelling all scheduled elective surgeries and many outpatient procedures for the remainder of the week at Calgary hospitals. AHS has to move staff around to handle the increasing number of COVID-19 patients ending up in ICU. In Alberta, 89 per cent of the 147 ICU patients in the province are unvaccinated.

“Last time it was like this was at the beginning of COVID,” said Dr. Dan O’Connell.

O’Connell is an Edmonton head and neck cancer surgeon.

“Hospital administration is having to make really difficult decisions in terms of creating capacity for COVID related care like ICU beds. And the net effect is there’s nowhere for surgical patients to go.”

Unless more Albertans get vaccinated O’Connell warns more procedures will be put on hold.

“Everyone’s scared if they have cancer, they’re scared, their families are scared. People don’t seem to understand that,” said O’Connell.

In a statement from AHS, it says that there are several factors that contribute to surgical priority including patient prognosis, urgency and long-term outcomes resulting from a delay.

“We know patients will be anxious if their surgery is postponed and we know the toll cancer, treatment, and any delays in those treatments can have on patients and families,” said AHS spokesperson Kerry Williamson.

“We are doing everything we can to reduce this anxiety and provide the absolute best care.”

Meantime, Mulder has a message for the unvaccinated.

“While they don’t think COVID is a big deal, the trickle-down effect affects other things.”

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Touria Izri.

EDMONTON – Alberta reported 18 deaths due to COVID-19 on Wednesday, the highest one-day count since January.

The province also reported 1,166 COVID-19 cases.

There are now 647 patients in hospital with COVID-19, 147 of whom are in the ICU.

Alberta now has 15,618 active cases.

CALGARY — The $100 vaccination incentive wasn’t a bomb but also wasn’t the blockbuster the Alberta government hoped it would be over the long weekend.

Last Friday, the province announced that anyone getting a first dose would receive a $100 debit card. Tuesday, at the same time it announced nearly 5,000 new cases of COVID-19 and nearly 100 new hospitalizations, the province also announced a slight uptick in first doses.

CTV News compared the numbers between Friday August 27 and Monday August 30, which revealed a four-day average of 2, 543 first dose shots and 3, 935 second doses.

BAD POLICY

While the data didn’t take into account the fact that it was the Labour Day long weekend, it still looks to Alberta’s former chief medical officer of health Dr. James Talbot that the incentive isn’t moving the needle in a significant way.

“First and foremost, this is a failure of bad government policies,” Talbot said. “And the unvaccinated are unfortunately the victims of that bad policy, but at the same time, we have to get back to a healthier place, as I said, of rewarding the people who have done the right thing and discouraging the people that have done the thing that is endangering the system.”

Talbot believes a vaccine passport should be implemented in Alberta, pointing to jumps in immunizations in B.C., Ontario and Quebec, all of which adopted the vaccine passport.

He also pointed out that with large employers like the City of Calgary implementing a mandatory vaccine policy, and with the $100 incentive set to expire Oct. 14, he expects to see a rise in Alberta’s immunization numbers as well.

With files from Camilla di Giuseppe, CTV News

EDMONTON — The last formal Edmonton city council meeting before October’s municipal election took place Tuesday.

The meeting marked the end of a four-year cycle that began in 2017, and saw four new councillors join.

This year, nine of 13 city council members are seeking office again. Coun. Scott Mckeen will not be running for re-election after eight years with the city, Coun. Ben Henderson will not be running after 14 years, and Coun. Micheal Walters, who spent three years on council, will also not be running for re-election.

Edmontonians will be electing a new mayor in this year’s municipal election.

“I’m filled with gratitude today,” said Mayor Don Iveson at Tuesday’s city council meeting. “It was a difficult decision not to run again because I still believe really powerfully in local democracy.”

Mayor Iveson announced in November of last year his decision not to seek a third term.

A TERM LIKE NO OTHER

The city introduced several major projects during the last four years including its Valley Line Southeast project, connecting downtown Edmonton to Mill Woods.

Edmonton city council declared a climate emergency in August of 2019 introduced by Ward 4 Coun. Aaron Paquette who is running for re-election this term.

The city also annexed land from Leduc County during its past cycle, which saw around 20,000 acres transferred from the county to areas of south Edmonton in 2019.

This, all prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced city council to focus on other priorities.

“In a pandemic situation with things as fraught and divided as they are in the world, it hasn’t been easy for this group of people to band together, and yet overall they have,” said Mayor Iveson.

The impact of the pandemic on the Edmonton’s economy was one issue discussed during Tuesday’s meeting.

According to the city clerk’s office, the largest impacts include over $50 million in revenue reductions targeting the Edmonton Transit System, community and recreation facilities, and city parking revenues.

The city said the impact on its operating revenues will likely continue on that trend through 2022 and into 2023. Mayor Iveson acknowledged the fiscal challenges Edmonton will continue to face, but applauded city council for persevering in spite of those challenges.

“I think we’ve left the books in good shape not withstanding this transit challenge for 2022, which really is a challenge that every other big Canadian city is facing,” said Mayor Iveson.

Edmontonians will select a new city council on Oct.18.

EDMONTON — Getting tested for COVID-19 took as long as two hours at the EXPO Centre on Tuesday as Alberta Health Services experienced staffing issues.

CTV News witnessed a lengthy lineup at the testing centre Tuesday afternoon. Some people leaving said it took approximately two hours to get swabbed.

“We did experience some staffing issues at EXPO today, which combined with high testing volumes and last-minute uptake of appointments caused some delays,” AHS spokesperson Kerry Williamson told CTV News in an email.

AHS can currently test approximately 10,000 Albertans per day but it is increasing capacity to test 15,000 people, Williamson said.

“As we have done in previous waves, we adjust staffing to meet current demands.”

On Tuesday, Alberta reported nearly 5,000 new COVID-19 cases since Friday.