What you need to know about COVID-19 in Alberta on Thursday, June 11

The latest:

• Calgary will lift its local state of emergency on Friday, but officials are urging Calgarians to continue strictly following public health guidelines.
• The latest CBC News Road Ahead poll reveals a profound anxiety among Albertans but also clear signs of optimism about the future.
• The Alberta government is targeting a return to "near-normal" conditions with students going back to classrooms across the province for the beginning of the 2020-21 school year.
• Alberta will go to Stage 2 of its economic relaunch on Friday, a week earlier than planned, which means movie theatres, acupuncture and massage therapy providers, gyms and recreation centres can reopen.
• The province identified 40 new cases of COVID-19 over the past 24 hours.
• Albertans can now obtain free masks to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 by using A&W, McDonald's or Tim Hortons drive-thrus as well as other sources for those who don't live close to the fast-food franchises.

What you need to know today in Alberta:

Health experts say it makes sense for Alberta to take the next step in reopening its economy, but warn there will be an uptick in COVID-19 cases due to an inability to physically distance in some situations.

The province is focused on returning to "near-normal" classes to start the 2020-21 school year, Education Minister Adriana LaGrange said Wednesday.

The province is considering three scenarios, with a final decision on school openings to be made Aug. 1.

A dozen conservation and Indigenous groups have written federal Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson asking him to force the Alberta government to reinstate environmental monitoring in the province's oilpatch now that COVID-19 lockdowns are easing.

The regional breakdown of cases on Thursday was:

• Calgary zone: 204 active cases, 4,724 recovered.
• South zone: 20 active cases, 1,240 recovered.
• Edmonton zone: 140 active cases, 509 recovered.
• North zone: 12 active cases, 218 recovered.
• Central zone: 2 active cases, 86 recovered.
• Unknown: 1 active case, 11 recovered.

What you need to know today in Canada:

As of 5:45 p.m. ET on Thursday, there were 97,516 confirmed and presumptive coronavirus cases in Canada, with 57,642 of those cases considered recovered or resolved. A CBC News tally of deaths based on provincial data, regional health information and CBC's reporting stood at 8,043.

Atlantic Canadians should be able to travel within the four provinces sometime in early July, P.E.I. Premier Dennis King said following a meeting of the region's premiers Wednesday evening.

With international visitors staying away because of the pandemic and border restrictions, this summer presents an opportunity for Canadians to rediscover Canada's many world-renowned attractions and locations, such as Banff, officials say. 

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, but testing is open to anyone, even without symptoms. 

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.