Calgary·THE LATEST

Everything you need to know about COVID-19 in Alberta on Tuesday, Dec. 14

Alberta Health officials reported 250 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday and eight more deaths from the illness.

20 more omicron cases have been reported for a total of 50 cases

CBC News · Posted: Dec 14, 2021 10:09 AM EST | Last Updated: December 15, 2021

Alberta's identified cases of the omicron variant saw a significant spike Tuesday as the province's total jumped from 30 to 50. (Submitted by AHS)

The latest COVID-19 numbers:

The Alberta government reported Tuesday:
- There were 250 new COVID cases.
- The total number of active cases in Alberta is 4,016.
- Alberta Health says there are 366 people with COVID in hospital, including 70 in intensive care.
- The province recorded eight new deaths.
The Alberta government reported Tuesday that 20 new cases of the omicron variant have been detected. The province has identified 50 cases in total.
Most of the new variant cases, 27, are in the Calgary zone.
Alberta Health Services confirmed two omicron cases of community transmission.
Alberta Health said Tuesday evening that two of the cases are of unknown origin and are suspected to be from community transmission. Most of the cases, 36, are travellers and 12 cases are in close contacts of confirmed cases.
The emergence of omicron, named a variant of concern by the World Health Organization, has prompted the return of border closures, travel restrictions and stricter testing requirements across the world.
A total of 3,283 Albertans have died of COVID.
332,242 Albertans have recovered.

See how Alberta compares on vaccination rates and active cases with the rest of Canada, how many Albertans are in hospital and more in the other charts and graphs at the bottom of this story.

Outbreaks have been declared in two units at Peter Lougheed Hospital in northeast Calgary. Thirteen people, including one health-care worker, have contracted COVID-19 as a result.
In Edmonton, three units at Grey Nuns Community Hospital have declared outbreaks. Seven people have tested positive for COVID-19; one death is associated with the outbreak.
There are seven other outbreaks at acute care sites throughout the province.
There are active alerts or outbreaks in 142 schools.
There were 228 intensive care unit beds open in Alberta, including 55 surge beds.
Alberta's ICU capacity (including additional surge beds) is at 81 per cent. Without the surge spaces, ICU capacity would be at 107 per cent.
Provincewide, the R-value for Nov. 29 to Dec.12 was 0.96, with a confidence interval between 0.92 and 1.01. An R-value below 1.0 means transmission is no longer growing.
The R-value for the Edmonton zone is 0.99, and in Calgary it's 0.96. In the rest of Alberta, the rate is 0.93.

The latest on vaccines:

Alberta Health Services implemented its immunization of workers for COVID-19 policy Dec. 13. In an email to CBC News, AHS stated around 1,650 full- and part-time AHS staff who are not fully immunized have been placed on unpaid leave.
AHS tweeted Friday that it had received reports of a scam in which texts that appear to be from AHS promise Albertans money for getting a COVID-19 vaccine and ask for credit card information.
Also last week, AHS tweeted that it was aware of misinformation being spread that children are being hospitalized at the Alberta Children's Hospital with adverse reactions following COVID-19 vaccinations. AHS said it was untrue; there haven't been any pediatric hospitalizations related to COVID-19 vaccination.
Earlier this month, prompted by the new omicron variant, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommended mRNA booster shots be administered to all Canadians over 50 and anyone who falls into the high-risk category, as well as anyone who received the AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
Alberta is in the process of expanding access to vaccine booster shots to all Albertans ages 18 and older, six months out from their second dose of the vaccine, starting with select groups.
- It opened up to those 60 and older on Dec. 6.
- The first groups to be eligible for a third dose as of Nov. 8 were people 70 or older, First Nations, Métis and Inuit residents and frontline health-care workers.
- The province says bookings for all adults over the age of 18 will open by early next year.
As of Tuesday:
- 71.8 per cent of the province's total population — or 76.1 per cent of eligible Albertans (ages five years and older) — have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
- Out of the province's total population, 77.7 per cent have received at least one dose, or 82.4 per cent (ages five and over), according to CBC's vaccine tracker.
- That compares with 81.4 per cent of the total population Canada-wide who have received at least one dose of vaccine, and 76.2 per cent of the total population who are fully vaccinated. Among those eligible, 85.6 per cent have had one dose, and 80.1 per cent are fully vaccinated.
The percentage of eligible people in Alberta who are vaccinated dropped on Nov. 26, when children between the ages of five to 11 were added to the population of those eligible.

The latest on restrictions, rapid testing and more:

According to an email from the Alberta government to a Calgary pharmacy, all Albertans will be able to access free take-home COVID-19 rapid antigen testing kits from participating pharmacies in Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary by mid-December. Those outside of these cities can access testing kits through Alberta Health Services sites.
The kits are intended for people without symptoms of COVID-19. Those who do have symptoms should stay home, isolate and book a PCR test through Alberta Health Services.
CBC Calgary reported on Dec. 10 that the Calgary Catholic School District says it has used more than 10,000 rapid COVID-19 test kits provided by the province so far this school year, with half of those being used by staff not fully vaccinated participating in the district's mandatory rapid testing program.
Meanwhile, the Calgary Board of Education said it is not providing rapid tests for staff.
The Alberta government imposed the restrictions exemption program, a voluntary vaccine passport system, as of Sept. 20 to combat a disastrous fourth wave of COVID-19. A full list of restrictions and exemptions is available on the government's website.