Ontario confirms the province will help Alberta with overwhelmed ICUs
Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott confirms the province will help Alberta manage its overwhelmed intensive care units (ICUs), which have been inundated with COVID-19 patients, operating at 155 per cent over normal capacity.
“There was a time when Ontario needed some help as well and other provinces helped us,” Elliott said, after making an announcement in Tweed, Ont., on Friday.
In April, the Ford government reached out to every province and territory asking for help with health-care resources to manage overloaded ICUs. At the time, Alberta declined to send help due to a sharp increase in their own hospitalizations.
“Our officials, they're having conversations right now about exactly what they need, and we will be there to support them and help them,” she said.
Elliott said she expects supporting Alberta’s ICUs would be “at the top of the list” of Ontario’s response. Although, she did not disclose any details on how the province plans on providing this support. “Frankly, I think that their intensive care units are very full right now,” she said.
“Ontario has graciously offered their help, and we're in discussions with them regarding potential transfer of patients if needed,” Dr. Verna Yiu, the head of Alberta Health Services (AHS), told reporters on Thursday
Alberta has a total of 310 ICU beds. Currently, 86 per cent of those beds are occupied, primarily by COVID-19 patients, Yiu said on Thursday.
"If the numbers keep increasing, right now we're seeing on average about 18 to 20 new COVID ICU admissions every single day,” she said. “We need to bend that curve.”
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney declared a public health emergency for the province on Wednesday, describing the current situation as a “crisis of the unvaccinated.”
With files from the Canadian Press.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.