EDMONTON — As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Alberta and parts of Canada, some provinces and private organizations are going to start asking for proof of vaccination.

B.C. is the latest province, along with Quebec and Manitoba, to announce it will require residents to show they have been vaccinated when they attend some recreational settings, like restaurants, fitness centres, movie theatres and sporting events.

Several sports organizations, including the Edmonton Oilers, will also ask fans to show their vaccination status, or a negative COVID-19 test, before they can enter a game.

Timothy Caulfield, a professor of health law and science policy at the University of Alberta, believes proof of vaccination mandates will be widely used in Alberta one way or another.

“This is going to happen,” Caulfield told CTV News Edmonton.

“I do think it’s just a matter of time before we see more and more institutions in Alberta doing that.

“I think the provincial government needs to show some leadership here. Let’s help the private sector. The private sector’s trying to do the right thing. Let’s create an environment where it’s easier for them to do it.”

The Starlite Room will also require customers to be vaccinated, a decision they say is the best way to welcome back music fans and international artists.

Tyson Boyd, one of the owners and operators, said “we’re kind of having to break our own ground,” but that the reaction has been mostly positive.

“We do not necessarily want to be in this position and we’re trying to do the best with what we’ve got,” Boyd told CTV News. “So proof of vaccination or proof of a negative test is the most inclusive we can be in a condensed setting like we are.

“We are not a socially distanced type of business. When you come to a concert at places like the Starlite Room, it’s fully immersive. You know, you’re going to be close to the people you’re going to the show with and to gain the confidence and be able to try to replicate the experience of what we delivered prior to pandemic, we just need people to be comfortable within a tightly condensed space of people.”

In a statement to CTV News, the Alberta government said “it is not considering mandatory vaccine mandates at this time.”

“Albertans are encouraged to continue to sign up for both first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccine to ensure long-term protection,” the province added.

PRIVACY CONCERNS

The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta issued guidance on proof of vaccination.

On Monday, Jill Clayton, Alberta’s information and privacy commissioner, explained to CTV News organizations and businesses can make vaccines mandatory if it’s necessary to give a product or a service.

“Businesses need to be thinking about, do they have a purpose? If they think they do, how much information do they need to collect in order to meet that purpose,” Clayton said. “They also have to be really transparent to individuals about why they are collecting the information.”

Caulfield thinks privacy concerns are overblown and dismissed the possibility of discrimination if businesses have alternatives for people who can’t get vaccinated, which Clayton said is necessary, like rapid tests.

“My sense is that there is no legal impediment to moving this forward,” Caulfield said.

“This isn’t an immutable characteristic. This is a choice that you make: get vaccinated, don’t get vaccinated. And choices have consequences.”

As of Tuesday, 73 per cent of Alberta’s active COVID-19 cases are in unvaccinated people, and 80 per cent of Albertans in hospital with COVID-19 have not received a shot.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Alex Antoneshyn and Ryan Harding

EDMONTON — The number of Albertans in hospital and intensive care units due to COVID-19 both hit 10-week highs on Tuesday, according the province’s latest data update.

Alberta reported 258 COVID-19 patients in hospital, up eight from Monday’s adjusted total, and the most since June 15.

There are 57 patients receiving coronavirus care in ICUs, an increase of three and the highest since June 17.

Unvaccinated Albertans remain the overwhelming majority of COVID-19 patients in hospital and ICU.

Seven more deaths were reported, with patients ranging in age from 60s to 100s. 

The deaths bring the province’s total number of COVID-19 related deaths to 2,355. Twenty-eight of them have been since the start of August, including 18 in the past seven days.

Also Tuesday, Alberta reported 629 new infections, with a positivity rate of 10.82 per cent based on about 6,000 tests. Since July 29, testing has been recommended only for those with symptoms. 

Active cases rose to 7,931.

Among eligible Albertans, 77.4 per cent have now received a first dose of vaccine and 68.9 per cent have had two doses.

The next data update is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

EDMONTON — For Albertans looking to win a prize in Alberta’s second Open for Summer Lottery draw, the deadline to enter is Tuesday night, the province announced.

Alberta residents 18 and older who have both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and register online by 11:59 p.m. Tuesday will be entered.

The province started the lottery in June as a way to encourage more Albertans to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

“Vaccines are safe, effective, and help to protect you and the people around you from COVID-19,” said Tyler Shandro, Alberta’s health minister, in a news release. “For those who are still unprotected, shots are readily available.

“If you have been waiting to book your appointment, today is the perfect time.”

Over 1.8 million Albertans have entered the lottery, according to the province. Of the eligible population in Alberta, 77.3 per cent have had a single dose of vaccine and 68.8 per cent have had a second dose.

The grand prize for this draw is $1 million. Other prizes include:

• One WestJet Vacation Package for two to Dreams Vista Cancun Golf & Spa Resort, including round-trip economy flights and a seven-night all-inclusive stay
• One voucher for two people to fly round trip, business class, anywhere in WestJet’s network
• 10 vouchers for two people to fly round trip, economy class, anywhere in Canada
• Three giveaways of 1,500 WestJet dollars
• Five giveaways of WestJet Rewards Gold Status
• One Air Canada Vacation Package for two to Planet Hollywood Cancun, including round-trip economy flights and a seven-night all-inclusive stay
• One voucher for two people to fly round trip, business class, anywhere in Air Canada’s network
• 10 vouchers for two people to fly round trip, economy class, anywhere in Canada
• Three giveaways of 100,000 Aeroplan bonus points
• Five giveaways of Aeroplan 50K Status
• A two-day rail trip for two between Banff and Vancouver aboard Rocky Mountaineer’s GoldLeaf coach and an overnight stay at the Juniper Hotel in Banff

This is the second of three draws in the Open for Summer Lottery. Registration for the last prize draw is scheduled to close on Sept. 23.

Anyone who registered for the first draw earlier in the summer is automatically entered into the second and third draws.

Winners for the August draw will be notified on Aug. 31, according to the province.

Albertans can register for the lottery on the province’s website.

EDMONTON — Edmonton’s mayor is concerned about the rising number of COVID-19 cases across Alberta as more employees return to working in person and students return to school.

Don Iveson said at a media availability on Monday that the city is exploring a vaccine mandate for City of Edmonton employees and council could bring back mandatory masking measures as case counts continue to rise.

“I think the numbers we’re seeing in Alberta are concerning,” Iveson said. “There appears to be a fourth wave beginning here in spite of our best efforts.”

Alberta recorded a two-month high in the number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units while the province added nearly 2,000 cases over the past weekend.

When asked if masks will remain mandatory while on public transit, taxis, or ride shares beyond Sept. 27, Iveson said he personally believes the measure would be useful but depends on if council believes it is a priority.

“My view continues to be that masking would be an appropriate measure for the city to take, certainly in our own workplaces and in our facilities and services, like public transit,” the mayor said, adding that masks are the lowest cost measure people can take that has had its effectiveness proven throughout the world.

“There’s probably value in looking through the fourth wave here at broader application of a masking requirement in our community.”

Iveson said that masking would be stronger as a public health measure should the province implement a mandate for it so that metropolitan regions like Edmonton have consistency across municipal boundaries.

“I’ve been talking to members of council, including those who had voted to repeal masking earlier in that contentious decision, and they’re certainly hearing from the public that there’s some desire to look at continued masking requirements,” he added. “Masking is one of the best tools in the tool kit to help blunt the impact of a potential fourth wave.”

The mayor said the city could implement a vaccine mandate for municipal employees. Currently, city workers are being asked to anonymously and voluntarily disclose their vaccination status.

“With other major public sector employees, including the Government of Canada and the City of Toronto, requiring vaccination, it’s something we’re looking at very closely,” Iveson said.

He added that the city’s legal team is examining the privacy and enforceability issues of mandating all workers to receive a COVID-19 immunization.

“There are obvious occupational health and safety upsides, and personally, I think those outweigh the other issues,” Iveson said. “Ultimately, there’s a lot of complexity that needs to be worked out in the Edmonton context.”

The mayor said council will receive an update about the potential measure from city administration Monday next week.

EDMONTON — Alberta emergency physicians are challenging claims the province is not facing a hospital bed shortage.

The group accused Alberta Health Services (AHS) CEO Dr. Verna Yiu of “actively and publicly downplay[ing] the significance of bed closures and increasing staffing issues” in a recent letter.

Yiu wrote in a July 31 op-ed published by Postmedia the province was not seeing reductions beyond what was normal during the summer season or expected after 18 months of pandemic response.

“Our system is stable, safe, and available for any patient who needs it. If a patient needs a bed — whether it be in an emergency department, or on a hospital ward — a space will always be available,” Yiu wrote.

But the Alberta Medical Association’s emergency medicine section says the acute care system is stressed to the point that care is being delayed and affected.

“We’re raising the alarm because we see it’s getting worse and we’re really worried we could get to full crisis mode,” the section’s president, Medicine Hat-based Dr. Paul Parks, told CTV News.

“This is getting really bad. We need to make sure government AHS leadership is aware of it so we can start working out some solutions.”

LEADERSHIP AND HOSPITAL STAFF EXPERIENCE DISCONNECT

According to Parks, the system is seeing a 10-to-20 per cent increase over pre-COVID-19 volumes due to Albertans putting off seeking care during the pandemic, increased mental health and addiction illnesses, and increased EMS volumes and pre-hospital services.

That’s exactly the situation at Edmonton’s Royal Alexandra Hospital, seconded emergency doctor Shazma Mithani.

“What I’m experiencing and seeing is certainly not unique. It’s happening everywhere where the patient volumes are higher, the wait times are higher as well, as a result of that, that patients are sicker.”

That, on top of shortages, she said.

“I guess technically there’s no bed shortage. There’s no physical bed shortage. But there’s a staff shortage, which means we have to close some of those beds,” Mithani qualified.

“We always have to remember a bed is not a bed without the people who make that bed, without the staff that make that bed operable. Although, sure, there’s no physical bed shortage, there’s certainly a bed shortage in the sense that we have to close spaces because we don’t have enough space to keep them open safely.”

As of Monday, 98.2 per cent of AHS’ 8,500 acute care beds and 98.6 per cent of its emergency care spaces were open.

On Friday, four operating rooms at the Royal Alex’s Orthopedic Surgery Centre were closed because of “unexpected” physician shortages for post-surgical care, and AHS notified the nurses union its members could be forced to work overtime to address shortages.

For Mithani, the letter represents frustration that upper leadership is downplaying the situation staff are facing every day.

“It is an extraordinary letter, but it is an extraordinary time right now as well,” Mithani noted. “It was shocking to see the big disconnect between what was written in the op-ed and what we were seeing on the front lines.”

AHS REACHING OUT TO HEALTH STAFF, ‘UNDERSTANDS’ PRESSURES FACED BY STAFF

Kerry Williamson, AHS spokesperson, told CTV News in a statement that the op-ed was meant to inform the public that the health care system is ready and accessible.

“The Op-Ed was intended to share information with the public and provide reassurance that the healthcare system remains safe and accessible to all Albertans, recognizing that we have temporary hospital bed reductions occurring at some sites,” Williamson said.

“Temporary hospital bed reductions, particularly in rural sites, have been seen in previous years,” he added. “We continue to work hard to ensure that staff and physicians are supported.”

Williamson said that AHS acknowledges concerns raised in the letter and that it is reaching out directly to physicians that signed to discuss the issues.

“We truly appreciate the contributions of healthcare professionals and the hard work and efforts that they have made during the pandemic and continue to make under current conditions to provide the best care for patients. We are working with our health care teams to manage these pressures.”

ALBERTA NEEDS HEALTH CARE PLAN TO ADDRESS STAFFING PRESSURES: NDP

The official opposition in Alberta is calling on the province to present a plan on properly managing hospital staffing levels and dealing with growing health care system demand.

“There is much more that this government could be doing,” Shepherd said. “But instead, they seemingly put their heads in the sand, declared the pandemic over, and have abdicated their responsibility to lead.

“Meanwhile this fourth wave of COVID-19 has placed greater stress on our frontline health professionals,” he added. “Enough is enough. Albertans deserve more.”

CTV News reached out to Alberta Health for comment.

With files from CTV News Calgary