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

The latest COVID-19 numbers: 

• The Alberta government reported Friday that 54 new cases of the Omicron variant have been detected. The province has identified 173 cases in total. 
• Of the 173 cases,143 people were vaccinated, six were partially vaccinated and 24 were unvaccinated, Alberta Health said. 
• 71 of the cases are linked to travel, 39 were a close contact of a case, and 63 were related to community or unknown transmission.
• About half of the variant cases — 87 — are in the Calgary zone.
• The Alberta government reported Friday:
  • There were 553 new COVID cases.
  • The total number of active cases in Alberta is 4,431.
  • Alberta Health says there are 344 people with COVID in hospital, including 68 in intensive care. 
  • The province recorded one new death. 
• Confirmed cases of the Omicron variant have been reported in three schools run by the Calgary Board of Education (CBE), the organization said Thursday. The University of Calgary also has a confirmed case of the variant. 
• The Calgary Catholic School District has two confirmed cases of Omicron, each at a different school.

WATCH | Sally Otto, modelling expert and UBC professor, talks Omicron on CBC Calgary News

COVID-19 modelling expert Sally Otto says Alberta hasn’t seen anything like Omicron

3 years ago

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Otto fears contagious variant could cause a hospital ‘pileup.’

The latest on restrictions, rapid testing and more:

• Premier Jason Kenney announced on Wednesday that the province is loosening its private social gathering restrictions, scrapping the rule that only people from two households can get together indoors. 
  • As of Wednesday, social gatherings can consist of people from any household, but groups must not exceed 10 people. Albertans under the age of 18 do not count in that tally.
  • The requirement that all people at indoor social gatherings be fully vaccinated is also being dropped. 
• At 9:15 a.m. on Friday, AHS tweeted that free take-home COVID-19 rapid antigen testing kits had run out in sites including Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Pincher Creek and Coaldale.
• Long lineups and wait times for kits have also been reported by Albertans on social media.
• In an emailed statement Friday, however, the government said: "Alberta Health has not had any significant issues with distribution to pharmacies, rollout is proceeding as announced."
• Kenney announced the testing kits would become available Friday from participating pharmacies in Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary.
• In regards to the rapid tests, the provincial government said Wednesday that:
  • If you're not in Edmonton, Red Deer or Calgary, you can access testing kits through Alberta Health Services sites.
  • The province has more than half a million kits available to hand out. Each kit contains five tests.
  • Rapid test kits will also be made available at more schools and for vulnerable populations.
  • 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.

• 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.

• 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 who are participating in the district's mandatory rapid testing program.
• The CBE 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. 

The latest on vaccines:

• The province said Wednesday that 85 per cent of eligible Albertans ages 12 and older have received both of their recommended doses of vaccine through Alberta Health Services, community pharmacies and physician offices.
• Kenney also announced Wednesday that all Albertans 50 and older — as well as all health-care workers — were immediately eligible to get an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine booster shot, provided that at least six months had passed since their second dose.
  • Eligible people can book appointments for third doses online with participating pharmacies or AHS by using the Alberta vaccine booking system.
  • Albertans can also call 811, participating pharmacies or participating physicians' offices.
• About 95 per cent of CBE staff say they have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Dec. 17, leaving roughly 300 staff members who say they are not fully immunized, the board told CBC Calgary.
• CBE staff unwilling to declare their status or participate in rapid testing will be put on leave without pay before Jan. 4, the board also said.
• Alberta Health Services implemented its immunization of workers for COVID-19 policy on 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.
  • A total of 175 staff at healthcare facilities where there has been a low vaccine uptake have been offered a rapid test option.
• AHS tweeted last 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.
• As of Friday: 
  • 71.8 per cent of the province's total population — or 76.5 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, 77.9 per cent have received at least one dose, or 84.4 per cent (ages five and over), according to CBC's vaccine tracker. 
  • That compares with 81.7 per cent of the total population Canada-wide who have received at least one dose of vaccine, and 76.3 per cent of the total population who are fully vaccinated. Among those eligible across the country, 86 per cent have had one dose, and 80.2 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.

See which regions are being hit hardest:

Here is the latest detailed regional breakdown of active cases, as reported by the province on Friday:

• Calgary zone: 2,069.
• Edmonton zone: 1,283.
• Central zone: 493.
• North zone: 381.
• South zone: 200.
• Unknown: 5.

Here are the latest Alberta COVID-19 stories:

The latest updates on COVID-19 in Alberta in charts and graphs: