What you need to know about COVID-19 in Alberta on Wednesday, June 3
Alberta reports two more COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday and 19 new cases
The latest:
- Premier Jason Kenney says Alberta may be able to speed up plans to move into Stage 2 of its relaunch strategy.
- Alberta Health Services is opening a new walk-in, drop-in testing location today in Calgary inside the Richmond Road Diagnostic and Treatment Centre. Testing is now available to any Albertan who wants to be tested.
- Alberta preschools were given the green light to reopen on Monday, with the province saying each staff member can have a maximum of nine children in a classroom, and can only be assigned to one group. But many owners and operators say they plan to wait until late August.
- Recycling is back to normal in Calgary after weeks of blue bin items being sent to the landfill due to a COVID-19 outbreak at the sorting facility.
- Alberta reported two more COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday and 19 new cases.
- There are 51 people in hospital, six of whom are in intensive care. No additional deaths were reported, leaving the total deaths at 143.
What you need to know today in Alberta:
Premier Jason Kenney said Albertans can expect an announcement early next week regarding whether the province can expedite its plans to move into Stage 2 of its relaunch strategy.
Stage 2 of the relaunch plan has been scheduled to begin June 19.
The Alberta government is distributing 20 million masks to help limit the spread of COVID-19. They will be available for pick up soon via the drive-thrus of A&W, McDonald's and Tim Hortons.
There have been 145 deaths due to COVID-19 in the province. Two more deaths were announced Wednesday, both at continuing care facilities in Calgary.
More than 270,000 tests have been completed. Testing has been expanded to anyone who wants to be tested.
For the third day in a row, there are no active cases in the province's central health zone.
Most of the active COVID-19 cases are still found in the Calgary zone. Here's a regional breakdown of cases as of Wednesday:
- Calgary zone: 255 active, 4,548 recovered
- Edmonton zone: 45 active, 505 recovered
- North zone: 22 active, 214 recovered
- South zone: 21 active, 1211 recovered
- Central zone: zero active, 97 recovered
- Unknown: one active, 12 recovered
What you need to know today in Canada:
Canadian troops serving in long-term care facilities are not being uniformly tested for the novel coronavirus — an omission that alarms a leading health and safety policy expert.
Conservative leadership candidates are weighing in on the crisis in long-term care, calling for everything from new funding to keep people in their homes to a criminal crackdown on those who abuse the elderly.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be among the leaders and heads of state to deliver remarks today during a virtual summit of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS).
Black and Asian people in England are up to 50 per cent more likely to die after being infected with COVID-19, an official study said Tuesday.
As of 12:20 p.m. ET, Canada had 93,040 confirmed and presumptive coronavirus cases, with 50,980 of the cases considered recovered or resolved.
A CBC News tally of deaths based on provincial data, regional information and CBC's reporting stood at 7,539.
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.