By: Thomas I. Likness
EBC News Service

(Eagle News) — As more seniors in nursing homes in the western Canadian province of Alberta are vaccinated, the case numbers and  death rate have dropped dramatically, said Alberta’s chief medical officer of health.

“Over the last few months, we have seen a sharp decline in our long-term care cases,” Hinshaw said. “A 92% decline in the last two months.”

Hinshaw said throughout the pandemic, people living in long-term care homes have had the highest risk of severe outcomes or death from Covid-19.

“Two out of every three deaths have been in a long-term care or designated supportive living facility,” Hinshaw noted.

She added outbreaks of the infection have dropped from 74 on December 20 to just 5 on February 16.

Hinshaw credits the decline to public health measures as well as immunization.

“These emphasize for us both that the public health measures have worked, and that vaccines can have a tremendous protective effect for those who are most at risk,” said Hinshaw.

This week, Alberta has expanded its vaccine rollout to include all seniors over 75, not just those  living in long-term care homes.
(Eagle News Service)