Cord blood collection in Edmonton resumes July 13

July 10, 2020 (EDMONTON)  – Aligned with the public health decision to ease COVID-19 restrictions in most parts of Alberta, and in consultation with clinicians as hospitals gradually return to normal operations, Canadian Blood Services will resume cord blood collection in Edmonton on Monday, July 13, 2020.

As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, Canadian Blood Services’ Cord Blood Bank temporarily suspended cord blood collections at its four collection hospitals in Ottawa, Brampton, Edmonton and Vancouver. The suspension was guided by the recommendations from the Public Health Agency of Canada and the increasing hospital restrictions to limit the risk of exposure to COVID-19.

Cord blood collections already resumed in Brampton (GTA) on June 22, 2020.

During the first week of the resumption of cord blood collections in Edmonton, mothers who have registered to donate their babies’ cord blood at the Lois Hole Hospital for Women will be able to do so from Monday to Friday during the day. We will return to full capacity on July 20, 2020, operating Monday to Friday during the day and evenings.

We recognize and understand there may be concerns about the health and safety of mothers because of the COVID-19 pandemic. To maximize donor safety throughout the cord blood collection process, our partner hospitals have put appropriate physical distancing measures in place and will be taking every precaution, including the use of personal protective equipment. We are committed to ensuring mothers have a safe and rewarding donor experience.

Canadian Blood Services continues to work closely with hospitals, as well as monitoring information from provincial and territorial partners, the Public Health Agency of Canada and Health Canada to determine when to resume cord blood collection in Ottawa and Vancouver. We will share more updates about cord blood collection in the coming weeks.

For more information, visit blood.ca/donatecord.

About Canadian Blood Services

Canadian Blood Services is a not-for-profit charitable organization. Regulated by Health Canada as a biologics manufacturer and primarily funded by the provincial and territorial ministries of health, Canadian Blood Services operates with a national scope, infrastructure and governance that make it unique within Canadian healthcare. In the domain of blood, plasma and stem cells, we provide services for patients on behalf of all provincial and territorial governments except Quebec. The national transplant registry for interprovincial organ sharing and related programs reaches into all provinces and territories, as a biological lifeline for Canadians.