Alberta prepares 194 temporary hospital spaces as respiratory virus season continues

EDMONTON · Alberta is preparing 194 temporary hospital spaces for use if patient demand exceeds capacity during the ongoing respiratory virus season. Premier Danielle Smith announced on Saturday that the province now has a record 9,003 acute care spaces. The government has also opened more than 221 permanent hospital spaces across Alberta, with 102 in Edmonton and 79 in Calgary. This follows a severe 2025-26 influenza season that saw 282 deaths and over 4,300 hospitalizations.

"Now, we know respiratory virus season will bring challenges; it always does. But we aren't waiting to act," Smith said during a news conference. The province has launched the Triage Liaison Physician program to allow earlier assessment of patients in emergency department waiting areas. Hospital and Surgical Health Services Minister Adriana LaGrange said the program means worsening conditions can be identified sooner. Smith said recruitment is underway for clinical triage teams in busy Edmonton and Calgary emergency departments.

Acute Care Alberta has established a Provincial Integrated Operations Centre to monitor hospital capacity and coordinate resources. The centre will identify hospitals with available beds and arrange patient transfers when emergency departments become congested. Acute Care Alberta CEO Dr. Sayeh Zielke said specific capacity thresholds will trigger actions like opening non-traditional care spaces. "These are hard triggers with specific actions, and this is the translation of data to patient care," Zielke said. Hospitals are introducing automated daily staffing reports to show where staff and fully staffed beds are available. An Edmonton Acute Care Capacity Task Force is examining ways to increase capacity for the 2026-27 virus season and beyond, with plans to expand its work to Calgary and other regions. The province also reports progress in moving patients who no longer need acute care out of hospitals.

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Assisted Living and Social Services Minister Nathan Neudorf said the number of beds occupied by these patients has fallen by 15 per cent provincewide since September 2025. At Alberta's 14 busiest hospitals, the decrease was 28 per cent. The average hospital stay for such patients has dropped by about 25 per cent, from roughly 40 days to 30 days. Provincial initiatives have freed the equivalent of 175 acute care beds over the past year.

Current season data

Provincial data through Oct. 17 shows 1,052 laboratory-confirmed influenza cases this season, with 288 hospitalizations and 26 intensive care admissions. There have been five influenza deaths, all involving people aged 70 or older. Patients aged 70 and older account for 179 of the hospitalizations, or about 62 per cent of the total. As of Oct. 17, 69 patients with lab-confirmed influenza were in hospital, including five in intensive care.

COVID-19 and RSV have also led to hospitalizations this season, with 115 COVID-19 admissions and four deaths, and eight RSV admissions and no deaths recorded as of Oct. 17. During the most recent reporting week from Oct. 11 to 17, Alberta recorded 366 new lab-confirmed influenza cases. LaGrange noted last season's influenza vaccine was a mismatch for the dominant strain but expressed hope for a better match this season.

The province expanded eligibility for publicly funded RSV immunization on Oct. 1 to include vulnerable adults aged 18 to 69 with conditions like transplant needs or chronic oxygen therapy. Free RSV shots remain available year-round for eligible seniors, older adults in care, and eligible First Nations, Métis and Inuit Albertans. A publicly funded RSV monoclonal antibody will be offered to infants born in hospital from November through April. Influenza vaccines are free for all Albertans aged six months and older.

With files from OkotoksOnline and DiscoverAirdrie