A $4.5-million investment in new virus detecting equipment and technology will help strengthen Alberta’s COVID-19 response. 

The funding includes a $1.7-million donation by Calgary Health Trust, with Alberta Health Services and the Government of Alberta making up the balance. This investment will increase Alberta's COVID-19 testing capacity from 7,000 to 16,000 tests per day.

Tyler Shandro, Minister of Health, comments, “With this new testing technology, Albertans have another way to help us flatten the curve and protect our most vulnerable citizens. By getting tested and providing invaluable data to health professionals, we can have the best possible information to guide and evaluate our relaunch actions.”

As of May 1, Alberta Precision Laboratories (APL) has completed more than 150,000 tests, making Alberta a national and international leader in per capita COVID-19 testing. APL is also expanding testing capacity by securing additional supplies including swabs and reagents, and taking steps toward achieving 24-7 testing.

 “As the charity partner for Calgary’s major hospitals and care centres, we are committed to making significant investments in areas that will have substantial impact on COVID-19 efforts. We’re working alongside Alberta Health Services daily to understand how the community can best support the pandemic response during these unprecedented times. We also know how important it is for our donors to show support for the hard-working health-care professionals who are our first line of defence against the virus," says Mike Meldrum, president and CEO, Calgary Health Trust.

The new equipment will be used in the future for other forms of virus testing, including for seasonable influenza.It will be located at sites around the province where they are most needed to support enhanced public surveillance and testing activities.

Expanding testing capacity is one element of Alberta’s Relaunch Strategy that must be in place before Alberta can begin to safely remove public health restrictions. For more information, visit alberta.ca/covid-19.

Albertans are also encouraged to download the ABTraceTogether app to help prevent community spread. The app is available to download free from the App Store and Google Play.

Watch the full announcement below: