What you need to know about COVID-19 in Alberta on Monday, May 25
CBC News | Posted: May 25, 2020 4:25 PM | Last Updated: May 26, 2020
Despite government's OK to reopen, some businesses are proceeding with caution
The latest:
- As of Monday, restaurants, bars and salons in Calgary can join the rest of the province in Phase 1 of reopening their establishments.
- Alberta confirmed 19 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, and there were three deaths in Calgary, bringing the total deaths in the province to 138.
- There are 762 active cases in the province, 594 of which are in Calgary.
- The Calgary Zoo reopened to the public on Saturday with reduced capacity, under direction from Alberta Health Services.
What you need to know today in Alberta:
In Alberta, the provincial government doesn't have any plans to make face masks mandatory. On Friday, Premier Jason Kenney said his government strongly encourages their use but that making them mandatory creates too large of an enforcement problem.
Consumers worried about meat shortages are interested in finding smaller, local sources of meat in the wake of widespread news coverage on conditions in large slaughterhouses, people in the industry told CBC News.
The regional breakdown of cases on Monday was:
- Calgary zone: 594 active cases, 4,069 recovered;
- South zone: 90 active cases, 1,133 recovered;
- Edmonton zone: 47 active cases, 459 recovered;
- North zone: 17 active cases, 201 recovered;
- Central zone: 3 active case, 95 recovered;
- Unknown: 2 active case, 22 recovered.
What you need to know today in Canada:
COVID-19 has upended our lives, and we've all heard that there will be no return to "full normal" until there is a vaccine. But how long will that take? Here's what needs to happen before we can all get vaccinated for COVID-19.
Commercial landlords can begin applying for a government rent relief program on Monday, but struggling businesses say it will benefit few of them. The Canada emergency commercial rent assistance (CECRA) program aims to reduce the rent owed by small business tenants by 75 per cent for April, May and June.
As of 7:30 a.m. ET on Monday, Canada had 84,699 confirmed and presumptive coronavirus cases, with 43,998 of the cases considered recovered or resolved.
A CBC News tally of deaths attributed to coronavirus based on provincial data, regional health information and CBC's journalism stood at 6,515.
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.
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.