Checked against delivery.

Thank you, Minister, and good afternoon, everyone.

Over the last 24 hours, we have identified 1,667 new cases of COVID-19 and completed about 4,260 tests.

Our positivity rate is about 36 per cent.

There are currently a total of 1,623 people with COVID-19 in hospital, including 129 in the ICU.

Sadly, 13 new deaths were reported to Alberta Health in the last 24 hours.

My condolences go to the family and friends of these individuals, as well as anyone who has lost a loved one no matter the cause.

Alberta Education has confirmed, that as of February 8th, seven of the more than 2,500 schools in the province are in temporary at-home learning to address operational challenges. Fewer than one quarter of one per cent of schools are currently operating online.

As the Minister said, we know that COVID is not going away – it will continue to be with us for months and years to come.

Thankfully, we have vaccines that are very effective at reducing severe outcomes and new treatments available as an addition to help reduce risk. We also have healthy habits that will remain important.

This includes being mindful of our physical proximity to others and keeping distance from those outside our household, practicing good hygiene habits and staying home when we feel unwell.

These simple steps remain important and can go a long way to helping us stay healthy and protecting  those around us

There has never been one right path to deal with COVID, and that remains true now. Every path has advantages and disadvantages that must be carefully weighed.

As the province moves to eventually treat COVID-19 more like other infectious diseases, it is essential that each of us continue to do our part to keep those around us healthy and safe.

Even as the approach to COVID shifts in our province, there will continue to be measures in place to protect those most vulnerable to this virus, particularly those in continuing care, acute care and other priority settings.

For example, masking will remain mandatory in acute care and continuing care as an important risk reduction measure for the foreseeable future. So if you were seeking care or accompanying someone who is you will need to wear a mask to protect yourself and those around you.

I ask everyone to be respectful and patient with those around you as we all adjust in the weeks ahead.

I also encourage Albertans to continue to assess their unique situation and make personal decisions about their health based on their own comfort levels and risk levels.

We should all do what is best for us and our families, even if that is different from those  around us. If others need a higher level of precaution than we are taking for ourselves, we need to be considerate of their needs.

Thank you, and we’re happy to take questions.