Update 228: COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta (June 1, 3:45 p.m.)

Latest updates

• Over the last 24 hours, 209 new cases were identified.
• There are 438 people in hospital due to COVID-19, including 127 in intensive care.
• There are 6,771 active cases in the province.
• To date, 218,719 Albertans have recovered from COVID-19.
• In the last 24 hours, there was one additional COVID-related death reported: one on May 30.
• The testing positivity rate was 5.1 per cent.
• There were 4,100 tests (4,531,332 total) completed in the last 24 hours and a total of 2,143,438 people tested overall.
• All zones across the province have cases:
  • Calgary Zone: 2,732 active cases and 89,108 recovered
  • South Zone: 430 active cases and 11,774 recovered
  • Edmonton Zone: 1,799 active cases and 73,946 recovered
  • North Zone: 983 active cases and 24,614 recovered
  • Central Zone: 826 active cases and 19,263 recovered
  • One active case and 14 recovered cases in zones to be confirmed
  • Additional information, including case totals, is online.
• Alberta has identified 140 additional cases of variants of concern, bringing the provincial total to 45,420.
• Currently, 417 schools, about 17 per cent, are on alert or have outbreaks, with 3,409 cases in total.
  • 159 schools are on alert, with 414 total cases.
  • Outbreaks are declared in 258 schools, with a total of 2,995 cases.
  • In-school transmission has likely occurred in 870 schools since Jan. 11. Of these, 267 have had only one new case occur as a result.
• There are currently 53 active and 9,642 recovered cases at long-term care facilities and supportive/home living sites.
• To date, 1,257 of the 2,228 reported deaths (56 per cent) have been in long-term care facilities or supportive/home living sites.

Open for Summer Plan

• Stage 1 of Alberta’s Open for Summer Plan is now in effect. Albertans can now enjoy outdoor patios, personal and wellness services, and more physical activities.
• Based on the current pace of vaccinations and decreasing hospitalizations, Stage 2 is expected to begin on June 10, provided hospitalizations remain below 500 and declining.

Second dose appointments open for booking

• Appointments for second doses of COVID-19 vaccine are now available to be booked.
• Albertans will be able to schedule second-dose appointments in the order they received their first doses.
• Albertans who received a first dose of AstraZeneca can choose AstraZeneca or an mRNA for their second dose.

COVID-19 vaccination program

• As of May 31, 2,811,168 doses have been administered in Alberta.
• 63.4 per cent of Albertans have now received at least one dose, and 10.4 per cent are fully vaccinated with two doses.
• Legislation allows Albertans up to three hours of paid, job-protected leave to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
• Albertans are able to track vaccination rates in their local geographic area.
• The first drive-through clinic is one of a range of initiatives to increase rates of vaccination in northeast Calgary.

Continuing care

• Restrictions have eased for continuing care residents who have been vaccinated and are returning after trips outside the facility.
• Rules for visitors to continuing care facilities have also been updated.

Masking exceptions for health conditions

• The rules around exemptions from wearing a mask due to a medical condition have changed. Individuals are now required to obtain a medical exception letter verifying their health condition from an authorized health-care provider.
• The medical exception letter must come from a nurse practitioner, physician or psychologist. It may be presented when in a public setting, if requested by enforcement officials or retrospectively in court if a ticket is issued.

Enforcement of public health measures

• Fines for non-compliance with public health measures have doubled to $2,000.
• Unpaid fines are backstopped with stronger fine collection actions and restrictions on registry services. For example, a person may have to pay their outstanding fine before they can renew their driver’s licence.
• Repeat offenders will be targeted with a new multi-agency enforcement framework.

Rapid testing

• The province has launched a rapid testing partnership with Alberta Chambers of Commerce.
• Businesses and service providers are no longer required to have a health-care provider oversee their rapid testing program.
• Rapid tests are available for employers.

COVID Care Teams outreach

• If you or others in your home have been directed to self-isolate/quarantine by Alberta Health Services and are unable to do so safely at home, please contact 211 to discuss options, including accessing an assigned hotel to safely isolate (free of charge). Financial assistance may also be available in the amount of $625, upon completion of the self-isolation period.

Albertans downloading tracer app

• All Albertans are encouraged to download the secure ABTraceTogether app, which is integrated with provincial contact tracing. The federal app is not a contact tracing app.
• Secure contact tracing is an effective tool to stop the spread by notifying people who were exposed to a confirmed case so they can isolate and be tested.
• As of May 31, 315,006 Albertans were using the ABTraceTogether app, 69 per cent on iOS and 31 per cent on Android.

MyHealth Records quick access

• Parents and guardians can access the COVID-19 test results for children under the age of 18 through MyHealth Records (MHR) as soon as they are ready.
• More than 600,000 Albertans have MHR accounts.

Addiction and mental health supports

• Confidential supports are available. The Mental Health Help Line at 1-877-303-2642 and the Addiction Help Line at 1-866-332-2322 operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Resources are also available online.
• The Kids Help Phone is available 24-7 and offers professional counselling, information and referrals and volunteer-led, text-based support to young people by texting CONNECT to 686868.
• Online resources provide advice on handling stressful situations and ways to talk with children.

Family violence prevention

• A 24-hour Family Violence Information Line at 310-1818 provides anonymous help in more than 170 languages.
• Alberta’s One Line for Sexual Violence is available at 1-866-403-8000, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• People fleeing family violence can call local police or the nearest RCMP detachment to apply for an Emergency Protection Order, or follow the steps in the Emergency Protection Orders Telephone Applications (COVID-19).
• Information sheets and other resources on family violence prevention are at alberta.ca/COVID19.

Alberta’s government is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by protecting lives and livelihoods with precise measures to bend the curve, sustain small businesses and protect Alberta’s health-care system.

Quick facts

• Legally, all Albertans must physically distance and isolate when sick or with symptoms.
• Good hygiene is your best protection: wash your hands regularly for at least 20 seconds, avoid touching your face, cough or sneeze into an elbow or sleeve, and dispose of tissues appropriately.
• Alberta Connects Contact Centre (310-4455) is open Monday to Friday, 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.