Update 230: COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta (June 8, 4 p.m.)

Latest updates

• Over the last 24 hours, 139 new cases were identified.
• There are 336 people in hospital due to COVID-19, including 85 in intensive care.
• There are 4,431 active cases in the province.
• To date, 222,776 Albertans have recovered from COVID-19.
• In the last 24 hours, there were three additional COVID-related deaths reported: three on June 6.
• The testing positivity rate was 4.2 per cent.
• There were 3,443 tests (4,572,062 total) completed in the last 24 hours and a total of 2,153,749 people tested overall.
• All zones across the province have cases:
  • Calgary Zone: 1,767 active cases and 90,819 recovered
  • South Zone: 217 active cases and 12,057 recovered
  • Edmonton Zone: 1,209 active cases and 74,970 recovered
  • North Zone: 657 active cases and 25,176 recovered
  • Central Zone: 581 active cases and 19,742 recovered
  • No active cases and 12 recovered cases in zones to be confirmed
  • Additional information, including case totals, is online.
• Alberta has identified 74 additional cases of variants of concern, bringing the provincial total to 47,095.
• Currently, 241 schools, about 10 per cent, are on alert or have outbreaks, with 2,007 cases in total.
  • 111 schools are on alert, with 256 total cases.
  • Outbreaks are declared in 130 schools, with a total of 1,751 cases.
  • In-school transmission has likely occurred in 882 schools since Jan. 11. Of these, 270 have had only one new case occur as a result.
• There are currently 24 active and 9,700 recovered cases at long-term care facilities and supportive/home living sites.
• To date, 1,258 of the 2,251 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 in effect. Albertans can now enjoy outdoor patios, personal and wellness services, and more outdoor recreation.
• 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 continue to decline.

Second-dose appointments open for booking

• Appointments for second doses of COVID-19 vaccine can be booked for those who received their first dose in March.
• 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 June 7, 3,123,226 doses have been administered in Alberta.
• 67 per cent of eligible Albertans aged 12-plus have now received at least one dose and 15.1 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.
• Three million doses of vaccine have now been administered in Alberta.

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 June 7, 315,170 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.