Another healthcare facility adopts enhanced masking

On Wednesday, November 22, Alberta Health Services announced that the Peter Lougheed Centre would be adopting the enhanced masking directive.

According to AHS, 'enhanced masking is required for AHS staff, physicians, volunteers, contracted service providers, and Alberta Precision Laboratories workers in patient-facing areas at the Peter Lougheed Centre.' As of Wednesday, there were two units at the Peter Lougheed Centre on the COVID-19 outbreak.

However, patients and visitors are not required to wear masks at this site, except for areas where staff determine masking is required and no patient shall be denied services.

"Wearing a mask is optional for AHS workers when they are in an area where there is no contact with patients (staff break rooms/meeting rooms, corporate settings, health records departments)."

AHS stated that the decision to implement enhanced masking at Peter Lougheed was based on several factors including rate of hospitalizations, number of outbreaks, occupancy, test positivity, and situational context. 

Other AHS sites where an enhanced masking directive remains in place include:

• Alberta Hospital Edmonton.
• Cross Cancer Institute.
• Devon General Hospital.
• East Edmonton Health Centre.
• Fort Saskatchewan Community Hospital.
• Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital.
• Grey Nuns Community Hospital.
• Leduc Community Hospital.
• Misericordia Community Hospital.
• Northeast Community Health Centre.
• Olds Hospital and Care Centre.
• Ponoka Hospital and Care Centre.
• Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre (including the Central Alberta Cancer Centre).
• Royal Alexandra Hospital.
• Strathcona Community Hospital.
• Sturgeon Community Hospital.
• Tofield Health Centre.
• Tom Baker Cancer Centre.
• Two Hills Health Centre.
• University of Alberta Hospital, Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, and the Stollery Children’s Hospital (these hospitals are co-located).
• Westview Health Centre.

In October, AHS adopted an enhanced masking directive to help prevent transmission of COVID-19 within their acute care facilities. 

"This directive supports zone and site leadership to determine if enhanced masking is necessary, and can include patient care areas, elevators/staircases/hallways, common areas, gift shops, and cafeterias where patient contact could occur in acute care facilities," AHS previously stated.

Decisions to implement enhanced masking are based on several factors which consider the rate of hospitalizations, number of outbreaks, occupancy, test positivity, and situational context. 

According to the province's online respiratory virus dashboard, during the week of November 1, 2023, there were 843 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases in the province. A total of 7,851 COVID-19 cases have been recorded since the end of August, with 2,702 cases in the Calgary zone. 

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