*Correction 9/13/21: A previous version of this article interpreted an AHS statement incorrectly. According to government sources, “open and available,” does not mean open and unoccupied.
New data from the Alberta Health Service (AHS) shows that 98.6 percent of all health care and emergency department care spaces are “open and available.”
“AHS has about 8,500 acute care beds across the province — 98.6 percent of those beds are open and available for patients,” said the AHS.
“AHS has about 1,200 emergency department care spaces across the province. Of those, 98.6 percent are open and available.”
Open and available does not mean that the beds are currently unoccupied – just that the beds have not been closed due to staff shortages.
The AHS website also says that rising COVID-19 cases may result in the need for increased ICU capacity.
“The Delta variant of COVID-19 is causing concerning rises in hospitalizations in our province, almost entirely amongst unvaccinated Albertans,” claims Kenney.
He then promoted vaccination and bribed Albertans to the tune of $100 to get vaccinated to prevent a healthcare collapse.
Afterwards, Kenney skulked off the stage, allowing ministers to announce new COVID restrictions, including a return to mask mandates and liquor curfews, as he lacked the fortitude to disappoint Albertans himself.
Health Minister Tyler Shandro joined in to say that “vaccines are safe, effective, and a game-changer,” Shandro said in a statement. “This is why the current wave is different than what we’ve experienced before.
“While we do not need to return to the same widespread and dramatic measures we had in place earlier in the pandemic, unvaccinated Albertans, in particular, are still at risk and are placing a heavy load on our healthcare system. This is why we are taking measured steps and introducing a new incentive program to encourage more Albertans to get the jab.”
Kenney says that these new restrictions are “temporary measures” — but then so did Ontario Premier Doug Ford right before saying he was introducing a vaccine passport.
