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Alberta reported more than 5,000 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, as dozens of intensive-care doctors penned a letter to Albertans explaining the desperate situation in ICUs across the province and asking for help to prevent the crisis from worsening.

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With a record-breaking number of patients in ICU, the Alberta Medical Association Section of Intensive Care released a letter outlining the seriousness of the current strain on the health-care system. There are 1,063 COVID-19 patients in Alberta hospitals, including 265 in ICUs — the most recorded throughout the pandemic.

“We remain on the verge of a health system collapse in Alberta,” the letter reads.

The physicians say their ability to equitably provide intensive care to every Albertan is under threat, as ICUs run well over normal capacity. According to Alberta Health Services, without the surge spaces created by redeploying staff and postponing procedures, provincial ICU capacity would be at 180 per cent.

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“Given the magnitude of disruptions, this very well may have already impacted you or one of your loved ones,” the ICU physicians wrote, arguing that the pace of infections makes it unclear when postponements of surgeries will cease.

Even as workers are diverted to cover ICUs, there is an insufficient number of specialized workers like respiratory therapists and allied health workers.

“The demand for ICU nurses is currently so high that we need to increase the number of patients assigned to each nurse,” the letter says.

“This will jeopardize the quality of ICU care that we are able to provide. If this continues, patients may need to be transported out of the province. In a worst-case scenario, this could result in the need to activate the pandemic triage protocol, where some Albertans would be restricted from receiving potentially life-saving therapies.

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“We are closer to this reality than we have ever been before.”

There are meaningful actions that can be taken to prevent this from worsening, the letter says. The physicians support the measures currently in place but call on the government and public health officials to act swiftly when they’re proven insufficient.

The ICU doctors are also looking to Albertans to get vaccinated and support others in getting vaccinated, to advocate for provincial leaders to continue controlling the spread of COVID-19 and to follow public health measures closely.

“As Albertans, we are strong and resilient, and our sense of community is powerful. Working together, we have controlled the first three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

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There are 312 total patients in ICU, most of whom are COVID positive, according to AHS. A total 370 ICU beds are open in Alberta which includes the additional 197 spaces created to meet patient demand.

In the last week alone, AHS redeployed staff to open another 38 ICU surge spaces. During those same seven days, ICU admissions increased by 11 per cent.

The Calgary zone has 133 ICU beds, including the 67 surge spaces, and is operating at 80 per cent current capacity.

As hospitals grapple with record-high patients, Alberta identified another 5,181 cases of COVID-19 over the last three days, including 1,882 cases on Friday, 1,541 on Saturday and 1,758 on Sunday.

With those cases, there are now 21,307 active cases provincewide.

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Another 23 COVID deaths were recorded over the weekend, bringing the provincial death toll to 2,645. The youngest of these deaths was a man in his 30s from the North zone.

Following the call from two prominent Alberta doctors for a provincewide “fire break” lockdown over the weekend, the Alberta Medical Association announced Monday they are also asking the government to implement timely, effective public health measures.

The restrictions would aggressively control COVID-19 cases to protect the health system from collapse, AMA said in a news release.

Premier Jason Kenney rejected calls for a “hard lockdown” during an appearance on a radio program Sunday, saying it makes no sense for the majority of Albertans who are vaccinated.

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Kenney told radio host Roy Green that the roughly 20 per cent who aren’t vaccinated are also less likely to abide by health measures.

Canadian Paediatric Society calls for stronger measures to protect children, youth

New daily COVID-19 cases identified among those under 11 years old are more than 10 times what they were at the beginning of August, according to the Canadian Paediatric Society.

The Canadian Paediatric Society’s president, Dr. Ruth Grimes, and Alberta Board representative, Dr. Raphael Sharon, released a letter to Kenney and other health officials Monday, calling for stronger public health measures to “reduce the suffering of children, youth, and families across the province.”

They advise mandatory vaccination for all adults working in schools or child-care settings or regular testing for those who cannot be vaccinated. And they are asking for masking requirements to be expanded in schools and child care to include all those over two years old, including when seated at a desk.

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“There are now more active cases being reported in those aged 19 and under than in those over the age of 50,” the letter says. “As adults, we must do everything in our power to protect the health and well-being of Alberta’s children and youth — especially given their continued ineligibility for vaccination.”

They are also recommending household contacts be mandated to isolate, contact tracing resume for all transmission in schools and child-care settings, and that preparations start immediately for vaccination clinics for the seasonal flu and COVID-19 in schools.

As of Monday, 83 per cent of eligible Albertans had received a first dose of vaccine, which is 70.6 per cent of the total population. Of those age 12 and over, 73.8 per cent are fully vaccinated.

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Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley called on Kenney to boost vaccination rates by reaching out to unvaccinated people through a door-to-door vaccine education campaign, supporting community groups with vaccination campaigns through grants, and undergoing a study on vaccine hesitancy.

“Higher vaccination rates will reduce pressure on our hospitals, and help lessen, maybe even prevent future waves of infection,” Notley said during a press conference Monday.

“This work will be difficult, it will be inefficient and it will cost money. But the price of not doing it, both in money and in human suffering, is far higher.”

sbabych@postmedia.com
Twitter: @BabychStephanie