Latest updates
- Strong outbreak measures have been put in place at continuing care facilities.
- Cases have been identified in all zones across the province:
- 671 cases in the Calgary zone
- 263 cases in the Edmonton zone
- 62 cases in the Central zone
- 57 cases in the North zone
- 16 cases in the South zone
- Six cases in zones yet to be confirmed
- Of these cases, there are currently 39 people in hospital, with 15 admitted to intensive care units (ICU).
- In total, there have been 74 hospitalizations, with 24 admissions to ICUs.
- Of the 1,075 total cases, 137 are suspected of being community acquired.
- There are now a total of 196 confirmed recovered cases.
- There have been four additional deaths reported in the Calgary zone, and one in the Edmonton zone for a total of 18 deaths in Alberta. Eleven of these deaths have been in the Calgary zone, four have been in the Edmonton zone and three occurred in the North zone.
- Alberta Health is tracking nine outbreaks at continuing care facilities. To date, 88 cases have been confirmed at these facilities.
- There have been 60,508 people tested for COVID-19, and a total of 61,960 tests performed by the lab. There have been 3,563 tests completed in the last 24 hours.
- Aggregate data, showing cases by age range and zone, as well as by local geographic areas, is available online at alberta.ca/covid19statistics.
- All Albertans need to work together to help prevent the spread and overcome COVID-19.
- Restrictions remain in place for close-contact businesses, dine-in restaurants and non-essential retail services. A full list of restrictions is available online.
- Albertans are prohibited from attending gatherings of more than 15 people, and they must continue to observe two metres of social distancing. This includes events both indoors and outdoors, such as family gatherings, weddings and funerals. Further details are available online.
Bits and Pieces program
More than 1,100 offers of support have poured into the government’s Bits and Pieces program from private and non-profit organizations. Offers include commercial vehicles, hotel rooms and mobile trailers, food and water services, hospital gowns, face masks, ventilators and other personal protective equipment.
Support for family violence prevention
Government is providing $60 million in one-time emergency funding to adult homeless shelters, women’s emergency shelters, and charities and not-for-profit organizations to support their response to COVID-19:
- $25 million to homeless-serving agencies
- $5 million to women’s emergency shelters
- $30 million to charities, not-for-profits and civil society organizations
Government is also providing $50 million in financial support for self-isolating Albertans with no other source of income to help to reduce economic pressure on families.
Community and Social Services is working on increasing public awareness about family violence during COVID-19:
- YourAlberta and Community and Social Services social media accounts are promoting the Family Violence Info Line as a resource during the pandemic.
- The alberta.ca/COVID19 webpage includes information on family violence and mental health.
- Community and Social Services is developing a fact sheet on family violence and COVID-19 for front-line staff in the public health and family violence sectors.
- Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women is developing a list of supports for people experiencing gender-based violence.
Access to justice updates
The Provincial Court of Alberta has updated schedules and practice notices at https://www.albertacourts.ca/pc/resources/covid.
The Court of Queen’s Bench has released a definition of emergency/urgent matters at https://www.albertacourts.ca/qb/resources/announcements/definition-of-emergency-urgent-matters.
The Court of Appeal will now permit the remote commissioning of affidavits. Find more information at https://www.albertacourts.ca/ca/publications/announcements/notice---covid-19-remote-commissioning-of-affidavits.
Outbreak standards for health settings
Alberta’s chief medical officer of health has outlined orders on how to control outbreaks of COVID-19 and protect the residents and staff of licensed supportive living (including group homes and lodges), long-term care (nursing homes and auxiliary hospitals), and residential addiction treatment service providers licensed under the Mental Health Services Protection Act.
Under the orders, operators will be required to notify public health authorities, along with residents, families and staff, as soon as one individual (resident or staff) exhibits COVID-19 symptoms.
Staff who work at multiple facilities are required to immediately inform their supervisors if they have worked or are working at a facility where there is a suspected, probable or confirmed outbreak.
To protect our most vulnerable, in the case of a confirmed outbreak, operators will require staff members to work exclusively at one facility. This is in addition to the worker health screening guidelines that are already in place.
The new standards provide operators with direction, in varying levels of outbreak, on how to deploy staff and resources where most needed, implement isolation measures, and ensure staff have up-to-date training on care and protective equipment.
List of essential workplaces
The list of essential workplaces that can continue to operate in Alberta can be found online.
Emergency isolation supports
Emergency isolation supports are available for Albertans who are self-isolating or who are the sole caregivers for someone in self-isolation, and have no other source of income. Applicants can view eligibility criteria and apply at alberta.ca. To carefully manage the flow of applications, we are periodically closing online access to MADI and the emergency isolation support. We will provide daily updates about system availability.
Quick facts
- The most important measures that Albertans can take to prevent respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, is to practise good hygiene.
- This includes cleaning your hands regularly for at least 20 seconds, avoiding touching your face, coughing or sneezing into your elbow or sleeve, disposing of tissues appropriately.
- Anyone who has health concerns or is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should complete an online COVID-19 self-assessment.
- For recommendations on protecting yourself and your community, visit alberta.ca/COVID19.