Check against delivery.

Thank you Tom and I echo Tom’s apologies for the delay in providing today’s update.

We have encountered a technical issue in the reporting system, so unfortunately I will not be able to provide detailed case numbers today.

This has not impacted our ability to identify and follow up on new cases. It has only impacted our reporting system with our dashboard.

The team is working hard to address the issue as we speak.

I have committed to give Albertans the most transparent and accurate information available at any given time.

As part of our usual quality assurance process, the team discovered some internal discrepancies that I felt needed to be addressed so that I could feel comfortable we were presenting data that was as accurate as possible.

Tomorrow, we will provide a detailed update for both days.

While I don’t have detailed case numbers today, I can tell you that about 800 new cases have been identified in the last 24 hours.

Currently, 9 hospitals across the province have outbreaks, including a new outbreak declared yesterday at the Chinook Regional Hospital.

AHS is working hard to limit the spread and safely manage all outbreaks to protect residents and staff.

It is important to remember that hospitals are still safe. If you need urgent care, do not hesitate to seek it.

That said, I am very concerned about the level of hospitalizations for COVID in Edmonton and Calgary.

We must protect our health system by reducing community transmission.

The fact that we are now reporting 800 new cases is extremely concerning.

It is most concerning because it means that the measures that we introduced 10 days ago, which may have helped cases plateau over the last few days, are not having enough of an effect.

It means that in about 7 to 10 days from now, our hospital numbers will rise further, which means that care for Albertans with other issues besides COVID will be impacted.

One significant concern I have is around the high proportion of active cases being identified who attended work or social events while symptomatic.

I do have current numbers up to yesterday and they are concerning.

In Edmonton, 9% of active cases worked while they had symptoms.

A further 8% visited retail or service businesses, and 8% attended a social gathering.

The data is similar for Calgary, where 11% worked while symptomatic and 9% traveled. Further, 7% attended a social gathering.

With more than 2,500 active cases in each city as of yesterday, we are talking about at least 500 people who did not stay home while symptomatic.

This is significant.

I am calling on Albertans to please stop all activities if you have any symptoms.

By leaving your home for any reason other than getting tested or seeking care, you are putting others at risk and spreading the virus so that one case can lead to many.

I know that it is inconvenient and disappointing, and I know that it can create tough choices for some.

But it is essential, and I also repeat my request that employers recognize this importance and support their staff to do this wherever possible.

It has now been 10 days since we announced new public health measures in Calgary and Edmonton, including the mandatory 15-person limit on social gatherings.

I have had many people ask me why we’re focusing on social gatherings.

The answer is because it’s a problem that is driving COVID spread in our communities.

By far, the number one driver of new cases we are seeing is exposure in households and private gatherings.

Currently, about 40% of the active cases in Calgary and Edmonton as of yesterday were exposed either in their household or at a gathering.

If we could reduce cases in this area alone, then we would be quickly able to bend the curve back down.

The other big area that is concerning is that many of our cases have unknown exposures.

In some cases, this is just because the public health investigation has not yet been completed, but in others, there is truly no known source.

This is another problem that can only be solved if we work together.

By reducing the wait times for booking a test, shortening the wait for test results and hiring more contact tracers, we will shorten the gap between when a person is exposed and when a contact tracer is able to talk to cases, identify their close contacts and break the chain of transmission.

The shorter this gap is, the easier it becomes to identify exposure sources and reduce the spread of COVID.

Unfortunately, as cases have risen rapidly, we are experiencing challenges in our contact tracing teams.

AHS does not currently have the capacity to call every contact of every case in a timely way.

Effective today, as an interim measure until more contact tracers can be hired and trained, AHS will be focusing their contact tracing on high priority settings only.

Every confirmed case will still get a phone call from AHS to identify whether or not they have a link to a high priority setting like a continuing care facility, a health care setting, or a school.

If a case attended a group event like a wedding, a party, or a group fitness class while infectious, or if this could have been the source of their infection, the organizer of these events will still be contacted to ensure attendees are notified.

But if cases are not linked to a high priority setting, the case will be provided with information and asked to notify their own contacts of exposures and the need for them to self-isolate and get tested.

Resources and information will be made available to these individuals to help them to do this.

I ask anyone who is notified that they are a close contact, whether by AHS or directly by someone you know, please be compassionate.

You are being notified for your own protection and the protection of those around you.

Please self-isolate immediately and get tested if you are identified as a close contact.

I have said there is no single right way to navigate this pandemic.

This remains true, and we must be mindful of protecting each other from the impacts of COVID and the impacts of restrictions.

At the same time, I have said that this is a critical juncture.

We need to change the trend in this province.

While Calgary and Edmonton have the highest active case numbers, we have seen a concerning rise in numbers outside these two cities as well.

We now have 46 municipalities on watch with more than 50 active cases per 100,000, and even more concerningly, 29 of these have more than 100 active cases per 100,000.

Our numbers today show a large increase, not the plateau we had seen for the past few days.

We should be starting to see the impact of the measures we put in place last week…

And as I said on Tuesday, a plateau is not enough. An increase is even more concerning.

Our health system cannot care for the increasing volume of COVID cases without stopping other services, which is happening now.

Unless our numbers decline dramatically in the next few days, we will have to consider additional steps to bring COVID numbers down in order to protect our health system.

We also need to protect those most at risk for severe outcomes.

This week, I communicated with continuing care operators in Edmonton and Calgary recommending that they consider limiting visitors to only the essential designated family or support people (and others in extenuating circumstances) while the transmission rates are high in these cities.

In the rest of the province, I have advised operators to consider the transmission in the area where visitors are coming from and ensure that all necessary precautions are in place to limit the spread of COVID-19.

We are looking closely at all the areas where spread is occurring in Alberta, and we are looking at measures to help slow transmission.

In the meantime, I want to stress that social gatherings, while a key part of human connection and a source of joy in our lives, are a problem when it comes to COVID.

It will never be possible or appropriate to regulate every facet of people’s lives.

What we need is Albertans to work with us, to take actions in their own lives to make a difference.

Until we start to see case growth diminish, we need all Albertans to think carefully about any social or family gatherings that they attend or host.

Postpone events if you can.

If you can’t, please keep them as small as possible and as safe as possible.

Safe gatherings means if you are sick, stay home or cancel the event if you are hosting.

It also means staying seated and distanced, wearing masks, meeting outdoors if possible and avoiding sharing food or serving utensils.

If it is possible to meet people outside your cohorts virtually or over the phone, please consider this whenever feasible.

I know it is frustrating, but with COVID-19 our actions do not show immediate results.

This weekend, if we don’t have a birthday party, if we stay home from family dinner because we’re not feeling well, or if we wear a mask to the grocery store, we will not yet see the results in Monday’s numbers.

But if we lead by example and follow all public health measures to the best of our ability, and respectfully help others who do not understand the measures or their importance, we can see results in the next two weeks.

I believe in Albertans and our ability to come together.

We are looking closely at what steps we need to recommend to government to protect the health of Albertans.

But we need your help as well. Please be wise, be vigilant and keep your social gatherings as small and safe as possible.

Thank you, and I am happy to answer any questions you may have.