Everything you need to know about COVID-19 in Alberta on Monday, Dec. 27
The Alberta government's reporting of COVID-19 cases will be slowed over the holidays, while future case counts will be affected by changes to testing that mean many positive cases will be self-diagnosed based on home rapid-testing kits or symptoms.
Government's COVID-19 updates slowed during holidays, new numbers paused until Dec. 29
See the latest update for Dec. 28 here:
Everything you need to know about COVID-19 in Alberta on Tuesday
The latest COVID-19 numbers:
- Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, said last week she would provide live updates on the state of COVID-19 in the province on Tuesday and Thursday this week but daily updates to the government's pandemic dashboard will be slowed over the holidays. New data, including daily numbers, will be provided this Wednesday and on Jan. 4.
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Thirty-eight staff members have tested positive with COVID-19 at the Drumheller Institution, according to the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC).
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Some of those who tested positive attended a Christmas party earlier this month, but the CSC would not confirm how many.
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No inmates have tested positive with COVID-19 during this current outbreak, but in-person visitations to inmates have been indefinitely suspended.
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Last Friday, Alberta Health Services (AHS) provided updated intensive care unit numbers.
- There are 229 general adult ICU beds open in Alberta, including 56 additional spaces. There are 167 patients in ICU.
- Provincial ICU capacity — including surge beds — is at 73 per cent. Without the additional surge spaces, provincial ICU capacity would be at 97 per cent.
- The Alberta government reported in its most recent full update last Thursday:
- 1,625 new cases.
- 8,359 total active cases.
- No new deaths. Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 3,299 COVID deaths in Alberta.
- 335,047 Albertans have recovered from COVID-19.
- When it comes to the Omicron variant of concern:
- As of last Thursday, the total number of Omicron cases in Alberta is 2,637, and it is now considered to be the dominant strain in the province.
- Hinshaw says cases of Omicron are doubling every two or three days.
- More than half the variant cases — 1,583 — are in the Calgary zone.
- However, given the anticipated surge in cases due to the Omicron numbers, the Alberta government has made a number of changes that will affect its ability to track cases. (See below).
The latest on restrictions, rapid testing and more:
- New public health restrictions in Alberta to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant took effect last Friday. They include:
- Venues in the Restrictions Exemption Program that seat more than 1,000 people will be at 50 per cent capacity. For venues with capacity of 500 to 1,000 occupants, 500 people is the limit. No food or drink can be consumed in these venues.
- Premier Jason Kenney said at a press conference on Dec. 21 that these changes will apply to NHL games, as well as the World Junior Tournament set to begin on Boxing Day.
- Restaurants, pubs and bars will have a maximum table capacity of 10 people. Mingling between tables and interactive activities like dancing or billiards are not permitted.
- They must stop serving liquor at 11 p.m. and close at 12:30 a.m.
- Testing guidelines changed last Thursday (Dec. 23)
- The province now recommends rapid tests for people with symptoms, instead of lab-based PCR tests, except for some priority groups.
- People who get a positive rapid test result are told to consider that a COVID-19 confirmation, isolate and notify their close contacts.
- The change will affect the figures reported by the government, but it plans to use wastewater surveillance and track people who have risk factors.
- As the proportion of Omicron cases soars in Alberta, the government also told people that if they feel symptomatic, they probably have COVID-19.
WATCH | What is the Omicron variant? Infectious disease expert Craig Jenne simplifies what the variant is:
- Hinshaw strongly urged people scale back their gatherings, but acknowledged gatherings of up to 10 people are allowed.
- Her warning came about a week after Premier Jason Kenney loosened private social gathering restrictions on Dec. 15, scrapping the rule that only people from two households can get together indoors. He said social gatherings could consist of people from any household, but shouldn't exceed 10 people (not counting those under age 18).
- He also dropped the requirement that everyone at indoor social gatherings be fully vaccinated.
- Alberta's health-care system has already been repeatedly overwhelmed during the COVID-19 pandemic. In anticipation of anticipated demand from soaring Omicron variant cases, the province directed Alberta Health Services to allow any unimmunized physicians and staff who want to return to work may do so, with participation in a temporary testing program.
- This will affect approximately 1,400 full- and part-time staff who are not fully immunized, who have previously been placed on unpaid leave. Testing will be at staff expense.
- The governing United Conservative Party was accused of showing hypocrisy by going ahead with a Christmas party on Dec 21, a few hours after the health minister strongly encouraged workplaces to cancel holiday gatherings.
- The Omicron variant has prompted several post-secondary institutions across the province to return to online learning for the first few weeks of the winter term.
- This includes the University of Alberta, University of Calgary, MacEwan University, University of Lethbridge, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) and Mount Royal University.
- Alberta has had a restrictions exemption program, a voluntary vaccine passport system, in place as of Sept. 20 after suffering through a disastrous fourth wave of COVID-19. A full list of restrictions and exemptions is available on the government's website.
- Starting Dec. 17, the Alberta government made free take-home COVID-19 rapid antigen testing kits available for at-home use on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.
- There's a limit of one box per person within 14 days and each box contains five tests, since it takes time for people's bodies to develop enough protein from the virus that causes COVID-19 after being exposed.
WATCH: How to perform the rapid antigen test:
The latest on vaccines:
- As of last Friday, Alberta placed last of all provinces and territories in terms of the percentage of eligible people (ages five and up) who had received the COVID-19 vaccine, according to CBC's vaccine tracker.
- 72.2 per cent of the province's total population — or 76.6 per cent of eligible Albertans (ages five years and older) — have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
- 78.4 per cent of the province's total population, and 83.3 per cent of those ages five and older, have received at least one dose.
- That compares with 82.4 per cent of the total population Canada-wide that has received at least one dose of vaccine, and 76.5 per cent of the total population that has been fully vaccinated. Among those eligible across the country, 86.7 per cent have had one dose, and 80.5 per cent are fully vaccinated.
- Starting Dec. 21, the Alberta government announced that anyone aged 18 and older who received their second COVID-19 vaccine at least five months ago can now book a third dose.
- Boosters of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will be offered to Albertans 18 to 29 years of age due to a slightly increased risk of myocarditis in younger Albertans, especially males, from Moderna — although the government emphasizes that individuals are much more likely to experience myocarditis from COVID-19 infection than the vaccine.
See which regions are being hit hardest:
Here is the latest detailed regional breakdown of active cases, as reported by the province on Dec. 23:
- Calgary zone: 4,665.
- Edmonton zone: 2,539.
- Central zone: 460.
- North zone: 424.
- South zone: 241.
- Unknown: 30.