Rockyview General Hospital now 3rd Calgary hospital battling COVID-19 outbreak

An outbreak of COVID-19 has been declared at the Rockyview General Hospital, bringing the total number of hospitals in Calgary with outbreaks to three.

One patient and one health-care worker linked to a general medicine unit have tested positive for COVID-19, Alberta Health Services said.

Dr. Joe Vipond, an ER physician at the Rockyview General Hospital, says the outbreak is sobering.

"It really brings it home. To this point, there's been outbreaks around the province at different hospitals in the province, but never in my backyard," he said.

The situation at the Rockyview General Hospital means that there are now outbreaks at eight major Alberta hospitals, putting further pressure on hospital workers in the province.

There are currently outbreaks at three hospitals in Calgary and five in Edmonton.

• With 7 COVID-19 outbreaks, Alberta hospital workers fight to keep system from being overwhelmed

In the outbreak unit at the Rockyview General Hospital visitors are now restricted to end of life situations or cases where that visitor is deemed essential.

Calls for report into Misericordia hospital in Edmonton

Last month, some Calgary doctors, including Vipond, called for AHS to be fully transparent into what it learned from the initial outbreak at Misericordia Community Hospital in Edmonton.

• Calgary doctors urge transparency about COVID-19 outbreaks at hospitals

With the latest outbreak at the Rockyview hospital, Vipond reiterated those calls.

"Obviously, there's some kind of failure happening, because we still keep seeing health-care workers getting sick in hospitals," he said.

On Tuesday, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the province's chief medical officer of health, said the province was looking for ways to have AHS share non-identifying public versions of outbreak investigations.

As of Wednesday, 164 people across the province were being treated in hospital for COVID-19 and 30 were in ICU beds.

Here are details provided by AHS on the current hospital outbreaks: 

• Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary has had 47 patients, 43 health-care workers and five visitors test positive. A total of 12 people have died. One unit is still on outbreak, but other units have resumed normal operation. 
• Peter Lougheed Centre in Calgary has three units under outbreak investigation. Four patients have tested positive, and one person has died. Two health-care workers have tested positive.
• Rockyview General Hospital in Calgary has one unit under outbreak investigation. One patient and one health-care workers have tested positive.
• Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton has two units under outbreak investigation. A total of 14 patients and 11 staff have tested positive. Three people have died.
• University of Alberta hospital in Edmonton has three units under outbreak investigation. A total of eight patients and three staff have tested positive. 
• Leduc Community Hospital in Leduc has an outbreak at one unit, where two patients have tested positive. 
• Misericordia Community Hospital in Edmonton has had 16 patients, 14 staff and four deaths associated with its outbreak. 
• Grey Nuns Community Hospital in Edmonton currently has three units under outbreak investigation. A total of eight patients and 12 staff have tested positive.