Everything you need to know about COVID-19 in Alberta on Wednesday, March 31

The latest COVID-19 numbers:

• Alberta reported 871 new cases of COVID-19 and three additional deaths on Wednesday. That brings the number of active cases in the province to 8,350 — double a low of just over 4,000 in February.
• The province's rollout of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines expanded to Phase 2B Tuesday, which will eventually open it up to more than 945,000 Albertans born in the birth years 1957 to 2005 (16 to 64) with underlying health conditions. However, not all in that group were eligible right away: only those born between 1957 and 1963 were eligible as of Tuesday. (See vaccine section below for more details.)
• In total, Alberta has recorded 148,332 cases with 137,992 recovered and 1,990 deaths.
• There are 301 people in hospital with the disease, 63 of them in intensive care.

(Note the latest daily count of new cases in the above chart will usually vary slightly from the net new cases Alberta Health announces each day. For more on why, click here.)

• Another 13,739  coronavirus tests were reported Wednesday, with a positivity rate of about 6.5 per cent.
• The R-value was 1.09 in the province, meaning that each person who tests positive will infect more than one other person.
• Alberta health officials have been pleading with the public not to let its guard down, as the province races to roll out vaccinations amid rising case numbers and the spread of more dangerous variants.
• One bit of good news, however, is that rates of infection among those aged 80 or over are dropping. 
• Hinshaw warned last week that four in 10 recent new cases of COVID-19 in Alberta were acquired through household transmission.
• She urged household members not to treat the spread as inevitable. Instead, anyone with symptoms should stay away from other people in the household and get tested as soon as possible, said Hinshaw, noting that free hotel rooms are available so people who need to can isolate outside the family home.
• She also warned the coronavirus had been spreading because some people are becoming careless and not following public health rules at restaurants, fitness centres, work or social gatherings (which aren't allowed indoors).
• The government warns that until most Albertans are protected, fully vaccinated people must still follow all health measures, including participating in no indoor gatherings, keeping two metres apart, wearing a mask in public and staying home when sick.

The latest on more dangerous variants:

• Alberta has been contending with rising hospitalization numbers and a surge in cases linked to variants of concern — trends that have delayed plans for further easing public health restrictions.
• A new record of 406 new cases were determined to be variants of concern in Wednesday's data update.
• That brings the total number of variant cases to 4,055, of which 2,660 are active. That accounts for 31.9 per cent of active cases in the province.
• A briefing being prepared for the Ontario government suggests the variants substantially increase the risk of serious illness and death when compared to earlier dominant strains of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
• Of those cases of variants of concern, 1,372 people are deemed to have recovered while 23 have died.
• Hospitals in Alberta are preparing for a third wave of the pandemic, driven by these more aggressive variants of the coronavirus. 
• Almost all variant-of-concern cases in Alberta are the strain first identified in the U.K. (B117).

The latest on the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines:

• As of Wednesday's update, 634,997 doses of vaccines have been administered, and 101,298 Albertans have been fully vaccinated with two doses.
• Phase 2B:
  • Alberta moved to Phase 2B of the vaccination rollout on Tuesday, opening up more appointments for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. 
  • Who's eligible in Group 2B:
    • Albertans born 2005 to 1957 (16 to 64) with eligible high-risk underlying health conditions like chronic conditions affecting certain organs and those suffering from cancer. For the full list of health conditions see here. However, not everyone can book right away: see below.
  • How to book if you're in Group 2B:
    • Bookings will open by birth year. Additional years added as more vaccines arrive.
    • Starting March 30: Born 1957-63 can book through participating pharmacies in Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer (more pharmacies will be added in coming weeks)
    • Starting April 5: Born 1957-59 can book through AHS (online or 811).
• Group 2A, which started on March 15, includes:
  • Albertans born 1947 to 1956 (turning 65 to 74), no matter where they live. They can book through participating pharmacies or AHS (online or 811).
  • First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) people born 1971 or earlier (turning 50+), no matter where they live.
    • On-reserve or on-settlement: Book through local clinics. 
    • Off-reserve or off-settlement: Book through participating pharmacies or AHS (online or 811).
  • Staff and residents of licensed seniors supportive living facilities not included in Phase 1. Do not book, as AHS will contact facilities directly.
• Earliest phase:
  • Alberta's vaccination rollout began in December, with a focus on acute care sites with the highest COVID-19 capacity concerns in Edmonton and Calgary. 
  • All residents in long-term care and designated supportive living had received their second shot of the vaccine by late February.
• Phase 1B, vaccinations opened up on Feb. 24 to all Albertans born in 1946 or earlier (turning 75 and older this year).
  • Alberta Health confirmed last Thursday that about 74 per cent of Albertans aged 75 and older had received at least one shot of their vaccinations.
  • If you're in that group and haven't booked your shot, they're still available at participating pharmacies and AHS.
• Group 2A: Began March 15 and includes:
  • Albertans born 1947 to 1956 (turning 65 to 74), no matter where they live. They can book through participating pharmacies or AHS (online or 811).
  • First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) people born 1971 or earlier (turning 50+), no matter where they live.
    • On-reserve or on-settlement: Book through local clinics. 
    • Off-reserve or off-settlement: Book through participating pharmacies or AHS (online or 811).
  • Staff and residents of licensed seniors supportive living facilities not included in Phase 1. Do not book, as AHS will contact facilities directly.
• Phase 2C will likely start between April and June, subject to vaccine supply, and will include:
  • A wider swath of health-care professionals such as physicians, nurses, pharmacists, dentists and support staff.
  • Designated support persons for those living in continuing care.

The latest on AstraZeneca-Oxford/Covishield vaccine:

• On March 10, Alberta began to offer the AstraZeneca-Oxford/Covishield vaccine as an option for adults who do not have a severe chronic illness in a staggered rollout to:
  • Albertans born 1957 to 1971.
  • First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) persons born 1972 to 1976.
• However, Alberta said Monday that it had temporarily paused the use of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine for those under age 55 in order to gather more data about a potential increased risk for blood clots.
• About 900 people under age 55 had received the AstraZeneca shot in Alberta by Monday, Hinshaw said, but they aren't considered to be at an increased risk for blood clots.
• She said there had been no incidents in Alberta or in Canada, but recommended that anyone who received it monitor their health — and call their health-care provider if they experience seizures, or an arm or leg that goes pale, cold or turns colour.
• Healthy Albertans who are eligible for the AstraZeneca vaccine but don't want it can choose to wait until Phase 2D begins, which the government says will likely be in May or June, depending on supply.

The latest on reopening and restrictions:

• Rising hospitalization numbers and a surge in cases caused by variants of concern have delayed plans to further ease restrictions in the province.
• The province warned Thursday that additional public health restrictions could be necessary in Alberta if there's a continued increase in variant cases — which along with increasing overall case numbers were the main factors cited by the government on March 22, when it postponed moving to Stage 3 of reopening.

• According to the provincial plan, to move to Step 3 there must be fewer than 300 people in hospital, and that total must be declining. As of late, hospitalizations have been rising.
• Under the current restrictions, all indoor social gatherings are limited to household members only. 
• People who live alone can have up to two close contacts:
  • These must be the same two contacts throughout the duration of the restriction.
  • If the close contacts do not live alone, visits cannot be held at their home.
  • Single parents who only live with their children under 18 are permitted to have up to two close contacts.
• Outdoor social gatherings can have up to 10 people, but must follow all public health rules about masks and physical distancing. The rules are enforceable with $1,000 fines.
• Retail stores and malls can have their capacity to 25 per cent of fire code occupancy, and youth sports teams and activities are allowed to resume with up to 10 participants. Masks and physical distancing are still required.
• Restrictions also eased for child, youth and adult performances, including singing, theatre and playing wind instruments, though participants must follow the same restrictions as for youth sports.
• Banquet halls, community hall and hotels can host permitted performance activities, wedding ceremonies with up to 10 people, and funeral services with up to 20.
• Rules for indoor fitness still require that gym visits must be scheduled or by appointment — no drop-ins allowed.
  • Low-intensity individual and group exercises are allowed without a trainer. Public health rules must be followed, including wearing masks and physical distancing.
  • High-intensity activities — without a mask — are allowed only for one-on-one workouts with a trainer. Trainers must still be masked.
  • No sports games, competitions, team practice or league play is allowed.
• Registration will begin in April for swim and skate lessons with the City of Calgary, which will host a maximum of 10 people in each class to maintain physical distancing.

See which regions are being hit hardest:

You can see active cases by local health area on the following interactive map. Scroll, zoom and click on the map for more information.

Here is the detailed regional breakdown of active cases as reported Wednesday by the province:

• Calgary zone: 3,923, up from 3,772 (52,913 recovered).
• Edmonton zone: 1,844, up from 1,762 (54,216 recovered).
• North zone: 970, up from 906 (12,878 recovered).
• South zone: 854, up from 815 (7,176 recovered).
• Central zone: 733, up from 693 (10,693 recovered).
• Unknown: 26, down from 27 (116 recovered).

Find out which neighbourhoods or communities have the most cases, how hard people of different ages have been hit, the ages of people in hospital, how Alberta compares to other provinces and more in: Here are the latest COVID-19 statistics for Alberta — and what they mean

How Alberta compares to other provinces and territories

Here are the latest Alberta COVID-19 stories:

• For the latest on what's happening in the rest of Canada and around the world, see here.