More hospital beds may be required for COVID-19 patients in Alberta

CALGARY (660 NEWS) — Alberta Health Services is planning for a need of 2,250 hospital beds in case the COVID-19 pandemic in the province becomes worse.

In Alberta, there are 8,500 beds which AHS is looking to use to cover the majority of the 2,250 need.

“We have postponed elective surgical procedures, that frees up a significant number of beds. At the same time, we know we need to find additional beds and our teams are doing exactly that,” Vice-President and Medical Director with Alberta Health Services Mark Joffe said at the COVID-19 update on Thursday.

RELATED: 67 new cases of COVID-19 in Alberta, provincial total at 486

Health officials are looking for care spaces in hospital wards that haven’t been used, hospital space which could change two-bedroom patient rooms into three-rooms where social distancing can be met, and locations in hospitals where care can be provided in case Alberta spikes in COVID-19 cases.

Dr. Joffe also indicated that AHS is looking into hotel rooms for those who are living in a circumstance where health officials don’t want them to return.

“They may be exposed to too many other individuals. We are going to need to find space for those individuals to recover from their illness, so they don’t transmit to others. Hotel space might be one example and there are many other examples being sought as we speak,” Dr. Joffre said.

As of March 26, Alberta has 486 total cases of COVID-19 with the Calgary Zone having 300 infections.

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