What you need to know about COVID-19 in Alberta on Saturday, May 9
CBC News | Posted: May 9, 2020 4:50 PM | Last Updated: May 9, 2020
The province reported its first case of COVID-19 in an Alberta correctional facility
The latest:
- There is now an outbreak linked to Canada Post's main plant in Calgary, Alberta Health Services said Friday.
- The province has reported its first case at an Alberta correctional facility — an inmate at the Calgary Remand Centre.
- Another 59 cases of COVID-19 were reported in Alberta on Saturday, for a total of 6,157. One more person has died.
- Another quarter-million Albertans lost work in April.
- Premier Jason Kenney said on Thursday it's unlikely all parts of the province will reopen on same schedule.
- The Alberta Medical Association is preparing for protracted battle with government.
- Guidance on reopening for hairstylists and barbers is coming soon, says Dr. Deena Hinshaw.
- The City of Calgary has slashed 30% of transit service hours.
What you need to know today in Alberta:
An inmate at the Calgary Remand Centre has tested positive for COVID-19, marking the first time a case has been reported at an Alberta correctional facility.
The individual was admitted to the quarantine unit following the correct procedure, according to Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the province's chief medical officer of health.
Watch: COVID-19: How cities might change to allow for physical distancing.
There is also now an outbreak at Canada Post's main plant in Calgary, Hinshaw said, though the union says they have not received any evidence that there is a spread within the facility.
Hinshaw, meanwhile, continues to warn Albertans that the virus has not gone away and they must continue to be cautious.
Alberta's doctors, seemingly spared from the worst pandemic projections, are now gearing up for a different battle with the province over pay, negotiations and reformation of Alberta's health-care system.
While on the economic front, another quarter-million Albertans lost work in April.
The province announced 59 new cases on Saturday, and one additional death.
Here is the regional breakdown of cases as of Saturday.
- Calgary zone: 4,161.
- South zone: 1,140.
- Edmonton zone: 509.
- North zone: 226.
- Central zone: 97.
- Unknown: 24.
What you need to know today in Canada:
Canada lost nearly two million jobs in April — a record high — as the COVID-19 crisis ripped through the national economy. Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey data released Friday brings the total number of jobs lost during the crisis to more than three million.
Watch: Will there be a second lockdown?
Between March and April, the unemployment rate spiked from 7.8 per cent to 13 per cent.
Amidst the news, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government would extend an emergency wage subsidy beyond its original June end date.
As of Saturday at noon ET, there were a total of 66,780 confirmed and presumptive coronavirus cases in Canada, with 30,632 of the cases considered recovered or resolved.
A CBC tally of coronavirus deaths based on provincial data, regional health information and CBC's reporting, listed 4,678 deaths in Canada and another two deaths of Canadians abroad.
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.
Watch: Is airborne transmission possible?
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.