Cases in Alberta

Variant cases

Alberta is screening all positive cases for variant strains of COVID-19.

• New variant cases identified: 321 on December 6
• Active variant cases: 3,376

Case numbers are updated Monday to Friday, except holidays. View more variant stats on the interactive data app. NOTE: Screening in May focused on a sample of positive cases so active variant cases should not be considered representative of total COVID-19 cases at this time.

COVID-19 R values

The R value, also known as the reproduction number, describes whether cases are currently increasing, decreasing or staying the same. It tells us average number of people that someone with COVID-19 will infect.

For example, if the R value is:

• at 1, then an infected person will infect one other person, on average
• below 1, it means the rate of transmission was decreasing during that period
• above 1, the transmission rate was increasing

R values from November 15 to 28 (confidence interval)

• Alberta provincewide: 0.88 (0.84-0.91)
• Edmonton Zone: 0.95 (0.88-1.04)
• Calgary Zone: 0.90 (0.84-0.96)
• Rest of Alberta: 0.80 (0.75-0.86)

COVID-19 R values are updated every 2 weeks.

Outbreaks in Alberta

• Acute care and continuing care facilities (including group homes) are reported publicly when there are 2 or more cases, indicating that a transmission within the facility has occurred.
  • Outbreak control measures are put in place at continuing care facilities and group homes with a single confirmed case, as a precaution.
  • AHS Acute Care Outbreaks in Alberta provides more information on outbreaks in hospitals.
• Prisons, correctional facilities, shelters and child care settings are listed when there are 5 or more cases.
• All other non-healthcare workplaces, events, public settings (restaurants, salons and gyms) and sports activities are listed when there are 10 or more cases, and if local public health has determined a need to declare an outbreak.
• Outbreaks are declared over when 4 weeks have passed since the last case was identified, so not all outbreaks listed below have current transmission happening.
• This list is for general information purposes and should not be used to guide public health decision-making.

Outbreak locations by zone

• Outbreak information is updated on Tuesdays and Fridays each week.
• Case numbers for outbreaks at specific sites are not provided online because they change rapidly and often.

Modelling, reviews and projections

Updated provincial modelling

• View the Updated Provincial Modelling (PDF, 556 KB) to learn more about the current data modelling that is informing Alberta’s COVID-19 response. (September 3, 2021)

Evidence summary

• View the shifting from pandemic to endemic evidence summary (PDF, 653 KB) to learn more about the past data that informed Alberta’s COVID-19 response. (September 3, 2021)

COVID-19 response reviews

• Review of Alberta's COVID-19 Pandemic Response: March 1 to October 12, 2020 (PDF, 1.9 MB)

Health system update – May 2021

• View the health system presentation (PDF, 1 MB)  to learn more about the impact of the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic on Alberta’s health system capacity.

Variant projections

• View the COVID-19 variant projections to learn more about Alberta’s projections of the UK variant. (January 25, 2021)

Modelling planning scenarios

• Modelling was used in April 2020 to help inform public health decisions.
  • Alberta COVID-19 modelling - April 8  (PDF, 828 KB)
  • Alberta COVID-19 modelling update - April 28 (PDF, 935 KB)