What's happening in Alberta
Dear staff, physicians and volunteers,
Today we write with updates on: cases in Alberta, travel restrictions, working remotely, Skype meetings, childcare, support for critical areas, Health Link, and taking care of ourselves and each other.
Case Update
There are 18 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Alberta since Sunday, bringing the total to 74. We now have cases in all five of Alberta’s zones, with new cases now confirmed in North, Central and South zones. Five cases are stable in hospital; all others are self-isolating at home and expected to recover fully. Here is the current breakdown of cases across the province:
- 52 cases in the Calgary zone
- 18 cases in the Edmonton zone
- two cases in the Central zone
- one case in the South zone
- one case in the North zone
We are seeing transmission of COVID-19 with no traceable travel connections occurring in Alberta communities. It is clear that we must take this outbreak seriously. Every single one of us has a role to play in protecting public health. As we watch our cases grow in Alberta, it is up to each of us to follow the recommendations – to stay home if we have any kind of symptoms or if we’ve recently travelled, be around as few people as possible at this time, and practice proper handwashing and illness management.
As Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, said today, while she was isolating at home due to cold-like symptoms, no one is exempt from staying home – even with mild symptoms. Though Dr. Hinshaw’s symptoms do not appear to be consistent with COVID-19, she is working from home, refraining from family interaction and has been tested. Taking these precautions represent our new normal. We can’t risk exposing others, especially our elderly and vulnerable populations.
We know this situation is rapidly changing and there is so much information circulating. You can find trusted information about COVID-19 on
Insite, at
ahs.ca/covid and at
alberta.ca/covid19. This includes details on how to
self-isolate.
Travel Restrictions
Today, the Government of Canada announced additional
travel advisories for Canadians travelling or planning to travel abroad. In Alberta, materials have also been developed to assist travellers returning from outside Canada, so they know what to do and how to self-isolate. These materials are being distributed at all airports in the province.
AHS strongly recommends that all staff follow government advisories. Self-isolation of 14 days is required for all travellers returning to Canada on or after March 12. Staff must refer to the
Symptoms and Travellers Guidance and complete the assessment, which provides direction on whether individuals need to self-isolate at home, and when to contact
WHS or
Health Link 811.
Options for Working Remotely for Authorized Staff
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been many requests from AHS staff to temporarily work remotely from home. Staff may be given the opportunity to work from home, where possible, with manager approval, as outlined in the AHS guideline on
Temporary Alternate Workplace Arrangements. Information has been posted on Insite to explain the
technical options for working from home and for
accessing applications remotely.
Skype Meetings
Like many organizations across Canada, AHS is experiencing intermittent issues with the availability of Skype for inbound and outgoing phone calls, due to an unprecedented volume of calls nationwide. The vendor for Skype has made it a high priority to resolve this issue for their healthcare clients.
This does not impact Skype-to-Skype calling, 911, 811, or the availability of any other AHS phone-based clinical service. Staff and physicians are using other tools when Skype is not available, including direct phone calls, and other teleconference options to ensure there is no delay to critical clinical processes.
Watch for updates as this resolves. For any other Skype for Business issues, contact the
IT Service Desk.
Child Care Arrangements for Staff
We recognize that with school attendance suspended and daycares closed, there is a significant impact on our workforce. Given the critical nature of health services, we want to work with our staff as they navigate this new situation so they can attend work as scheduled.
AHS is encouraging managers to be flexible in the short-term to support staff with unanticipated child care responsibilities, while they make alternate arrangements. This approach is recommended for the week of March 16 to 20, at which time it is recommended that managers work with staff to understand if there will be longer-term challenges.
If a staff member is unable to attend work due to child care issues, they should work with their manager to determine if there are other options, such as switching shifts or flexible hours. Otherwise, missed time should be coded in accordance with the applicable collective agreement or terms and conditions of employment. Staff and managers will assess the appropriate coding, including special leave, personal leave, or vacation, prior to considering unpaid leave, if child care arrangements cannot be made.
Support for Health Link and Workplace Health and Safety
Deploying staff to critical COVID-19 response areas is a priority, including Health Link and Workplace Health and Safety. Thank you everyone who has offered to pick up shifts in these two important areas – we’ve currently had over 1,200 staff put their names forward to help. The response to this request is heartwarming.
While we have already been in touch with over 500 people, we understand that not all staff have been contacted yet. We are continuing to work through the large list of staff members offering to support this critical need. Those available at straight time and those whose availability matches the immediate needs (if indicated), will be contacted first. If you want to help, please submit your information through the contacts below.
Health Link Support Information
Calgary:
AHS Unified Access Portal
Edmonton:
AHS Unified Access Portal
Workplace Health and Safety Support Information
Please reach out to
[email protected] if you or members of your team may be able to assist with this work.
Health Link Fields Thousands of Calls
It’s been another 24 hours of very high call volumes for Health Link 811, the majority of which are calls from Albertans with concerns about COVID-19.
On March 15, our Health Link teams answered 7,067 calls between the Calgary and Edmonton locations, with an average wait in Calgary of 16 minutes and 18 minutes in Edmonton. Over 5,000 of those calls were related to COVID-19.
Again, our heartfelt thanks go out to our Health Link staff and registered nurses who have been working 24/7 for over a week to help manage COVID-19 in Alberta. You are among those on our first line of defense and you should be proud of what you are doing to slow the spread of this outbreak and support Albertans. We are proud of you!
Online Assessment Tool
Launched on March 13, the AHS online assessment tool located at ahs.ca/covid, is being widely utilized and receiving attention from around the world. As of March 15, it has been completed over 800,000 times. We are sharing our tool with other health jurisdictions across Canada and in other countries to use in their fight against COVID-19. Through a series of questions, the tool will help you decide whether you need to call 811 to be tested for COVID-19. AHS teams are working on further enhancements to the tool to assist in connecting those who need to be tested directly with public health teams.
Mental Health
We know this is a stressful time at home and work as we navigate this outbreak. AHS Addiction and Mental Health Provincial Medical Director, Dr. Nicholas Mitchell shares information on mental wellness and ways to talk to our kids as Albertans’ normal routines change, and many self-isolate and use social distance to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Please find a moment to
listen to his podcast to help support yourself and your families.
Taking care and control
As we wrap up another day in this evolving battle to slow down COVID-19 and protect Albertans, we are so thankful to be part of Alberta’s community and this amazing organization. We know how hard you are all working and we are so incredibly proud and grateful. When you can find a moment, please celebrate the great work we are doing together and support each other. Sometimes it’s as simple as finding ways to be kind and helpful in tough times that make the biggest difference. As Dr. Hinshaw noted, we can actually feel more in control of the situation when we feel we’ve helped someone. We are in this together, and together we will get through this.
Please find moments to rest and refresh.
With gratitude and appreciation.