What you need to know about COVID-19 in Alberta on Monday, Nov. 2
Runny nose, sore throat removed from list of symptoms that require mandatory isolation for Albertans under 18
The latest:
- No new numbers from the weekend will be reported on Monday because Alberta's data system is undergoing maintenance. Data updates are set to resume on Tuesday.
- Runny nose and sore throat have now been removed from the list of symptoms that require mandatory isolation for Albertans under the age of 18.
- A new COVID-19 testing option that could shorten quarantine time for travellers is expected to start today at the Coutts land border crossing in southern Alberta and the Calgary International Airport.
- An outbreak has been confirmed in Lethbridge College's powerline technician program.
- Meanwhile, some infectious disease experts are concerned that Alberta could easily see three to five times its current number in the coming months if serious steps are not taken.
- Outbreaks have been declared on three units at the Peter Lougheed Centre in northeast Calgary.
- Alberta reported 622 new cases on Friday, bringing the total active cases in the province to 5,172 — another new high after hitting record numbers nearly every day for the past week.
- Five more people were also reported to have died, bringing total deaths in the province to 323.
- According to the most recent numbers, there are 140 people in hospital, 25 of whom are in intensive care.
- The province has brought in new mandatory limits of 15 people at most social gatherings in Edmonton and Calgary.
- The province is also recommending voluntary measures in both cities: wearing non-medical masks in all indoor work settings, except where people are alone in an office or cubicle, or a barrier is in place, and limiting themselves to no more than three cohorts.
- It also recommends that people in Edmonton and Calgary limit themselves to no more than three social cohorts.
What you need to know today in Alberta:
There will be no updated numbers released for the Halloween weekend in Alberta on Monday because the data system is undergoing maintenance. Updates are expected to resume on Tuesday.
The COVID-19 symptom list for Albertans under the age of 18 has changed. As of Nov. 2, runny nose and sore throat have been removed from the list of symptoms that require mandatory isolation for children.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, said the changes to the symptom list are intended to get children and teenagers back into child care or classrooms as quickly and safely as possible, while minimizing the risk of COVID-19.
According to Hinshaw, more than 3,400 children and youth who were tested for COVID-19 reported having a sore throat. Just over 700 of them had a sore throat as their only symptom, and less than one per cent of their tests came back positive.
Meanwhile, the number of cases of COVID-19 among school-aged children in Alberta has again surged to a new high, while the number of kids and teens being tested continues to decline.
Data from Alberta Health shows the number of new daily cases has continued to rise among five- to nine-year-olds and has again shot up, especially, among 10- to 19-year-olds. Last week on record, an average of 85 cases were recorded per day among school-aged kids and teens.
A COVID-19 coronavirus testing pilot project is expected to launch today at the Calgary International Airport and the Coutts land border crossing. It could shorten quarantine times to about 48 hours if a traveller receives a negative COVID-19 test result at one of two border crossings in the province.
Travellers will then be allowed to leave their place of quarantine as long as they remain in Alberta for the first 14 days and commit to getting a second test on Day 6 or 7 after arrival, at a community pharmacy participating in the pilot program, the province said.
They may be ticketed if they fail to respect the public health requirements of the pilot.
It will be available for foreign essential workers — truckers, health-care workers and other workers who are exempt from the current federal travel ban — and any Canadian citizens or permanent residents who are currently allowed entry into Canada and have no COVID-19 symptoms.
All travellers who choose not to participate in the pilot will have to abide by the normal 14-day quarantine.
An outbreak of COVID-19 has been confirmed within Lethbridge College's powerline technician program. Officials sent an advisory to students and teachers that as of Sunday evening, seven cases had been identified.
The school learned of its first positive case on Oct. 29, which was the last day the affected cohort was on school property. According to the release, those at risk of exposure have already been contacted by Alberta Health Services.
The affected cohort has also not visited the main part of the college campus, and according to the school, there is minimal risk to the campus community as a whole.
Alberta set another record on Friday with 5,172 active cases of COVID-19, an increase of 251 from the day before.
The death toll now sits at 323.
Five more deaths were reported on Friday. They involved:
- A man in his 70s from Edmonton zone, not linked to continuing care.
- Two men, one in his 80s and another in his 90s, linked to the outbreak at the Edmonton General Continuing Care Centre in Edmonton.
- A man in his 80s linked to the South Terrace Continuing Care Centre in Edmonton Zone.
- A man in his 70s linked to the outbreak at the Peter Lougheed Centre in Calgary.
Alberta has reported a total of 27,664 cases since the pandemic began. Before last week, which set new records on multiple days in a row, the highest active case total was 3,022, which was reported on April 30 at the peak of the first wave.
The active case rate per 100,000 people is 130.8 in Calgary and 185 in Edmonton.
A new temporary measure, which caps attendance at 15 for events where people will be "mixing and mingling" like parties and baby showers, applies in the Calgary and Edmonton areas.
The province is also recommending two voluntary measures in both cities: wearing non-medical masks in all indoor work settings, except where people are alone in an office or cubicle, or a barrier is in place, and limiting themselves to no more than three cohorts.
However, an Alberta infectious disease expert says she's deeply concerned about the numbers of COVID-19 reported in the province in recent days — and is warning that a preventable loss of life could be looming should serious steps not be taken.
Dr. Lynora Saxinger, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Alberta, says the province's new social gathering restrictions that brought in mandatory limits of 15 people may not go far enough. Given the current case numbers the province is seeing, a "fine-tuning" approach may not be feasible until numbers come under better control again, she said.
"Depending on where things are going, a pretty sweeping, broad lockdown — which is what everyone wanted to avoid — might be required to get the numbers down to a simmer," Saxinger said.
"Then, you can control it through more targeted interventions so that you can still have, you know, a reasonable assortment of things open to allow people to still participate economically and socially in a safe way."
An outbreak at the Calgary Correctional Centre has gotten bigger, according to new numbers provided by Alberta Health Services. As of Friday, 104 inmates and 20 staff members have tested positive.
As of last week, Albertans have been administered more than 597,000 doses of the flu shot so far this year, an increase of more than 50,000 when compared to the same time period last year.
Health officials have said this year it is more important than ever to get the flu shot because of the pandemic.
Here's the regional breakdown of active cases reported on Friday.
- Edmonton zone: 2,312, an increase from 2,277 the day before.
- Calgary zone: 2,034, an increase from 1,879 the day before.
- North zone: 353, an increase from 325 the day before.
- South zone: 276, an increase from 256 the day before.
- Central zone: 178 an increase from 162 the day before.
- Unknown: 19, a decrease from 22 the day before.
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
What you need to know today in Canada:
As of 10:15 a.m. ET on Monday, Canada had 236,841 confirmed or presumptive coronavirus cases. Provinces and territories listed 197,729 as recovered or resolved. A CBC News tally of deaths based on provincial reports, regional health information and CBC's reporting stood at 10,179.
On Oct. 30, health officials in Canada reported a record-breaking number of new cases, totalling 3,457.
Ontario and Quebec are still reporting the highest daily counts in Canada for new cases of COVID-19, while farther west in Manitoba, officials have again reported hundreds of new cases as its capital city gets set for tighter restrictions.
Ontario reported 977 new cases on Sunday. In the province's hot spots, there are 279 more cases in Toronto, 238 in Peel Region, 130 in Ottawa and 113 in York Region. The overall number was down from 1,015 new cases reported on Saturday.
Quebec added 965 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, down from 1,064 the previous day.
Manitoba reported six new deaths from COVID-19 on Sunday, along with 312 new cases. Starting today, bars and restaurants in Winnipeg can open only for takeout or delivery, while facilities such as movie theatres, museums and libraries must close.
The measures, along with others, will last two weeks and be reassessed at that time.
The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on Canadians suffering from mental illness, opioid addiction and other substance abuse problems, says a new study released today by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) which confirms anecdotal reports warning that the pandemic's health consequences extend well beyond the novel coronavirus itself.
Self-assessment and supports:
With winter cold and influenza season approaching, Alberta Health Services will prioritize Albertans for testing who have symptoms, and those groups which are at higher risk of getting or spreading the virus.
General asymptomatic testing is no longer available to anyone, but voluntary asymptomatic testing is available to:
- School teachers and staff.
- Health-care workers.
- Staff and residents at long-term care and congregate living facilities.
- Any Albertans experiencing homelessness.
- Travellers requiring a test before departure.
Additional groups can also access asymptomatic testing if required.
The province says Albertans who have returned to Canada from other countries must self-isolate. Unless your situation is critical and requires a call to 911, Albertans are advised to call Health Link at 811 before visiting a physician, hospital or other health-care facility.
If you have symptoms, even mild, you are to self-isolate for at least 10 days from the onset of symptoms, until the symptoms have disappeared.
You can find Alberta Health Services' latest coronavirus updates here.
The province also operates a confidential mental health support line at 1-877-303-2642 and addiction help line at 1-866-332-2322, both available 24 hours a day.
Online resources are available for advice on handling stressful situations and ways to talk with children.
There is a 24-hour family violence information line at 310-1818 to get anonymous help in more than 170 languages, and Alberta's One Line for Sexual Violence is available at 1-866-403-8000, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.