Shandro says as more surgeries are phased in, they will monitor and evaluate if more procedures can resume, such as short-term overnight stays. He says if there's too much risk, they may take a step back if need be.
There have been 9 additional deaths since Hinshaw's last update, the death toll in #AB is now 104 - Hinshaw calls crossing 100 a "somber milestone."
She says 4 of the 9 deaths occurred in the last 24 hours; the others occurred in previous days or weeks. Hinshaw says sometimes it takes time to confirm a death is related to #COVID19.
List of symptoms is being expanded to include fever, chills, new cough/worsening of a cough, new or worsening shortness of breath, painful swallowing, stuffy or runny nose, new fatigue, gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea or diarrhea 1/2
2/2 loss of appetite, loss of sense of smell or taste, pink eye. Now those with these symptoms can get tested for #COVID19.
She says adding new symptoms will allow them to identify as early as possible the small percentage of cases that will present with more unusual symptoms.
Testing will also be expanded to close contacts of a confirmed case, whether they feel symptoms or not aka those who are asymptomatic. Hinshaw says they know people can pass the virus on before they feel sick.
Testing is also being expanded to those who are nearly admitted to continuing care facilities in #AB, when they are discharged from hospital back to the facility and vice versa.
Is there enough PPE in meat processing plants for workers? Hinshaw says work is underway to make sure those kinds of precautions are in place.
How do you reassure Albertans that it's ok to go back to stores? Hinshaw says May 14 is a target. She also says we haven't eliminated the risk, we have just reduced it and we need to continue with measures such as physical distancing. 1/2
2/2 She also says any business that is allowed to reopen must demonstrate they have measures in place to prevent spread.
Cases that are unknown exposure continue to climb, how concerning is that? Hinshaw says it is a concern and they're looking at it closely. She says we need to make sure we're casting our net as widely as possible with testing, which is why they expanded eligibility.
Response to those who say the economy is being prioritized over the safety of Albertans? Hinshaw says it's right to be cautious. She says there's been a storm and some may feel the storm has passed and we can go back to normal but the storm is still here. 1/2
2/2 She then says we can't wait until there isn't any COVID until we start to reopen the economy. Hinshaw says we need to be cautious and that businesses can't open in the same way they used to operate.
Concerns about parcel safety? Hinshaw says it's possible for the virus to survive on some surfaces and on something like cardboard for a day. Her advice - open the packaging then dispose of it and wash hands immediately before touching contents of the parcel.
