Starting on Monday (May 25), voluntary testing will be available in long-term care, and level 4 designated supportive living facilities and people in the Calgary zone, including Airdronians, will be able to book COVID-19 tests online.

Non-urgent surgeries requiring a hospital stay will also resume next week and maternity services resume at the South Calgary Campus and High River Hospital on June 3rd.

About 27,000 residents and 44,000 staff in long-term care and level 4 designated supportive living facilities – those that provide a higher level of support to people with more complex needs – can now be tested for COVID-19, if they choose, even if they have no symptoms. More testing for this most vulnerable population group will improve the ability to detect cases early, prevent possible outbreaks, and keep people safe.

As Calgary prepares to reopen more businesses as part of Stage One of Alberta’s relaunch strategy, Alberta Health Services (AHS)  will add an extension to the online self-assessment tool for the Calgary region starting on Monday.  Symptomatic individuals within the zone will be able to book their own testing appointment if they live within 50 kilometres of an assessment centre and if the self-assessment tool indicates a test is required.

This additional feature will make it easier for people to schedule a COVID-19 test at a time and location that is convenient for them. The expansion will also provide public health officials with quicker access to testing information as we move forward through the province's relaunch. 

Non-urgent surgeries will expand to include more day surgeries and those requiring an overnight stay. These surgeries were put on hold to make sure the health-care system had the capacity to help those affected by COVID-19. Albertans waiting the longest will receive care first. Patients will be contacted directly when it is time for their surgery.

Since Alberta resumed day surgeries on May 4th, about 3,000 scheduled surgeries have been performed across the province. Urgent and emergency surgeries have been available throughout the pandemic.

“Albertans have done a great job of flattening the curve of COVID-19 infections and reducing the risk to the dedicated women and men working in our hospitals, says Health Minister Tyler Shandro.  "As a result, we can safely resume providing more of the scheduled care Albertans need. I know the deferral of scheduled services has been hard on patients and families, but it was the right thing to do as part of our overall strategy to protect Albertans from the impact of the pandemic.”

Starting June 3rd, maternity services will once again be offered at Calgary’s South Health Campus and the High River Hospital. Families had been accessing these services in nearby facilities. Services were consolidated on April 21 to make sure the region had space and resources to handle COVID-19.

Long-term care has the most confirmed cases of COVID-19 in all group living settings in Alberta. Up to an estimated 53,500 voluntary tests will be performed on residents and staff of long-term care and designated supportive living facilities.

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