What you need to know about COVID-19 in Alberta on Tuesday, April 28

The latest:

• Ice jams flood Fort McMurray's downtown and force thousands from their homes. The city declared a second state of local emergency, on top of the one already called for COVID-19.
• 1 in 4 of Alberta's COVID-19 cases have been tied to the Cargill meat-packing plant near High River, Alta. This has become the largest single outbreak in the country.
• Alberta confirmed 154 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bringing the total to 4,850. Five more people have died, for a total of 80 deaths in the province.
• The government released new modelling projections that estimate fewer Albertans will require hospitalization and critical care than predicted. 
• The province could be on track to reopening some parts of the economy in May, the premier said. 
• An outbreak on the Eden Valley First Nation has grown to 14 cases, and 1 case has been confirmed in Morley.
• There are 4 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among Calgary's homeless population.
• A Calgary economist warns Alberta should seek new revenue to deal with the deficit and reduce cuts after the pandemic.
• This summer's Hlinka Gretzky Cup has been cancelled.
• INTERACTIVE | See the latest data on coronavirus cases in Canada.
• Have a coronavirus question or news tip for CBC News? Email: Covid@cbc.ca.

What you need to know in Alberta today:

A meat plant north of High River, Alta., has been deemed responsible for one-quarter of the provincial case count. The Cargill meat-packing plant is the location of Canada's largest outbreak tied to a single site, with 1,084 cases with 710 workers who have tested positive.

The cases have spread throughout the nearby Stoney Nakoda First Nation, as well.

Across the province, there are 82 people in hospital with COVID-19, and 21 are in intensive care.

A total of 1,800 people have recovered, and 138,681 have been tested.

Here is the case breakdown by zone as of Tuesday afternoon: 

• Calgary zone: 3,366.
• South zone: 685.
• Edmonton zone: 486.
• North zone: 202.
• Central zone: 84.
• Unknown: 27.

In the latest statistics update, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, said 87 people were in hospital, far below the original projection of more than 400 in hospital by this time.

She said Albertans deserve credit for follow physical-distancing measures to keep cases down.

People in Fort McMurray are fighting a flood at the same time as a pandemic. Thousands were forced from their homes Monday as ice jams caused flooding in the city's downtown.

Fort McMurray declared a second state of local emergency, on top of the one previously declared for COVID-19. Government officials are working today to assist with the situation.

Albertans should prepare for an honest, difficult financial discussions once the pandemic crisis has settled, according to a University of Calgary economist.

In a new analysis, Trevor Tombe says the province's day of reckoning has come. He says the ballooning deficit may reach $20-billion by the end of the pandemic.

Matched with plummeting oil revenues, Tombe argues that Alberta should look at increasing revenue outside the resource sector to avoid spending years longer in the red.

As Alberta battles the ever-spreading virus, it appears the province is seeing younger people catching COVID-19 and ending up in hospital less often than in other parts of the country. There are a few reasons why this could be the case.

Businesses continue to adapt to changing economic conditions by adding curbside pickup and delivery services.

In a little bit of fun, a Calgary comedian has cut his father's hair using a set of clipper attached to a hockey stick.

Josh Groen insisted it was his dad's idea.

The Hlinka Gretzky Cup has been cancelled. It was scheduled for Aug. 3-8 in Edmonton and Red Deer. The tournament features the world's top under-18 male hockey players from eight countries.

People on AISH and Income Support who qualify for the Canada emergency response benefit (CERB) will be able to collect the federal employment subsidy and have a portion of it be exempt from what's counted for their provincial benefits. Many people receiving AISH or Income Support earn a wage from employment, as well.

The province will exempt a portion of the Canada emergency response benefit (CERB) for people on AISH and Income Support who qualify for the federal program.

What you need to know today in Canada:

Later this morning, Canada will announce new modelling projections for COVID-19 cases and death.

The last modelling update was in early April and projected anywhere from 11,000 to 22,000 people could die in this country over the course of the pandemic. That figure included the scenario of Canada following physical-distancing guidelines and taking other disease-prevention measures.

WATCH: What happens after Canadians flatten the curve:

What happens after Canadians flatten the curve

5 years ago

Duration 2:02

The curve for COVID-19 cases in Canada is starting to flatten, but before cases see a major decrease in the number of deaths that number will continue to rise.

Canada's top doctor has said officials didn't close the Canada/U.S. border sooner because a border closure wasn't part of the government's pandemic preparedness plan.

Dr. Theresa Tam gave CBC News an interview about the country's response to COVID-19. In it, she said selectively shutting the border to those arriving from hotspot locations wouldn't have worked, saying cases could have come in from anywhere.

Dr. Theresa Tam on what could've been done to screen passengers earlier:

Dr. Theresa Tam says more could have been done to screen passengers sooner

5 years ago

Duration 1:43

During her first sit-down interview since the COVID-19 crisis began, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam tells CBC’s chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton that some pandemic measures could have been better executed and could have happened sooner.

CBC has also published a detailed explanation of COVID-19 symptoms, and how they progress, with the latest information from the World Health Organization.

Public health officials continue to discourage checking fever as a sign of someone having COVID-19. They said it offers a false sense of security because fever has not been identified as the first symptom of the disease.

Despite this, some businesses have been testing staff and patrons for fever.

WATCH: How to physically distance in tricky situations:

How to physical distance in tricky situations

5 years ago

Duration 3:24

Physical distancing has radically changed how we socialize. But there are still some scenarios where it’s difficult to limit our physical contact with others. Here’s how to best navigate them.

The worldwide tally of COVID-19 cases has surpassed three million, with more than 208,000 deaths. Health officials warn this figure, tallied by Johns Hopkins University, is an underestimate as not all cases are caught.

Scientists continue to work toward a vaccine.

Self-assessment and supports:

Alberta Health Services has an online self-assessment tool that you can use to determine if you have symptoms of COVID-19.

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 10 days from the onset of symptoms.

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, available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. 

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.