LETHBRIDGE, AB – A Lethbridge Emergency Room physician is urging you to get vaccinated against COVID-19, if you haven’t already.
Dr. Sean Wilde took to Twitter earlier this week to shed some light on the situation here.
Dear Lethbridge,
Since I don’t know how else you’ll know, here’s a local pandemic update. This is what changed over the last weekend.
After some two months of closure, our hospital has reopened the inpatient COVID unit as we are seeing a rapid increase in hospitalizations. 1/— Sean Wilde (@DocSeanW) August 31, 2021
He says after two months of closure, Chinook Regional Hospital has reopened the inpatient COVID unit in response to a rapid increase in hospitalizations.
Dr. Wilde says the ICU is predominantly COVID patients again with some locals, some overflow from Medicine Hat’s ICU and some critically ill from the Cardston County outbreaks.
With schools back in session, he’s also concerned there will be more pediatric COVID admissions than ever before as that’s been the trend from other jurisdictions with high Delta variant transmission.
Dr. Wilde says now is a good time to wear masks in public places, limit non-essential contact with others (especially if you have vulnerable family members) and of course, get vaccinated.
Third dose “booster shots” are also now available for all seniors living in congregate facilities and immunocompromised Albertans.