The province is increasing healthcare spending to reduce pressure on hospitals. 

Health Minister Tyler Shandro, chief medical officer of health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw and the president and CEO of Alberta Health Services, Dr. Verna Yiu, provided Thursday’s (Sept.9) COVID-19 update. 

Up to $36-million in new funding will go toward improving wages and creating additional workforce capacity to allow Albertans to receive care outside of hospitals and free up resources to treat COVID-19 patients, according to a statement released from the province. 

Contracted home care agencies will receive $22-million over two years in additional funding to provide wage increases to their certified healthcare aides. An additional $14-million is being provided to expand workforce capacity to support home care and continuing care facilities on a short-term basis until March 31, 2022. 

Dr. Verna Yiu also updated the province on the province’s current hospital capacity. She explained that the hospital capacity in the province is at 87 per cent as of Thursday afternoon, which includes 231 people in ICU, 70 per cent of which have COVID-19.