Provincial Press Release January 25, 2021 @ 6:09pm published at 7:28pm
Alberta has updated the border pilot program and is screening for COVID-19 variants. Continue to follow health guidelines to protect others as well as the health-care system.
Latest updates
Over the last 24 hours, 362 new cases were identified.
There are 637 people in hospital due to COVID-19, including 113 in intensive care.
There are 9,337 active cases in the province.
To date, 110,622 Albertans have recovered from COVID-19.
There are an additional 380 cases not previously reported being added to today’s overall total cases.
In the last 24 hours, there were 25 additional COVID-related deaths reported: one on Dec. 31, one on Jan. 11, two on Jan. 16, one on Jan. 18, one on Jan. 20, 12 on Jan. 23, and seven on Jan. 24.
The testing positivity rate was 5.1 per cent.
There was an increase of 7,186 tests (3,108,982 total) for a total of 1,738,199 people tested.
All zones across the province have cases:
Calgary Zone: 3,588 active cases and 42,469 recovered
South Zone: 399 active cases and 5,245 recovered
Edmonton Zone: 3,245 active cases and 46,665 recovered
North Zone: 1,282 active cases and 8,432 recovered
Central Zone: 809 active cases and 7,693 recovered
14 active cases and 118 recovered cases in zones to be confirmed
Additional information, including case totals, is online.
Currently, 268 schools, about 11 per cent, are on alert or have outbreaks, with 500 cases in total.
259 schools are on alert, with 418 total cases.
Outbreaks are declared in nine schools, with a total of 82 cases.
In-school transmission has likely occurred in 51 schools. Of these, 39 have had only one new case occur as a result.
R values from Jan. 18-24 (confidence interval):
Alberta provincewide: 0.81 (0.79-0.84)
Edmonton Zone: 0.81 (0.77-0.85)
Calgary Zone: 0.83 (0.79-0.87)
Rest of Alberta: 0.77 (0.73-0.82)
There are currently 846 active and 7,817 recovered cases at long-term care facilities and supportive/home living sites.
To date, 1,032 of the 1,576 reported deaths (65 per cent) have been in long-term care facilities or supportive/home living sites.
COVID-19 variants
As of Jan. 25, Alberta has identified 20 cases of the variant first identified in the United Kingdom and five cases of the variant first identified in South Africa. All but one case have been linked to international travel. Variant case numbers will be updated weekly.
Alberta is enhancing capacity to do genetic analysis on samples.
Border pilot program
As of Jan. 25, border pilot participants must now remain in quarantine until receiving a negative result from their second test on day seven or eight (counting arrival day as day one).
Travellers currently in the program must immediately return to quarantine if they haven’t taken their second test and received the negative result.
Participants cannot return to child care, out-of-school care, schools, post-secondary institutions, and workplaces outside of their home for 14 days.
Returning travellers from the United Kingdom or South Africa are not eligible to participate in the border pilot program.
Current provincewide restrictions
All enhanced public health measures remain in place provincewide.
Health officials continue to actively evaluate the situation and will adjust measures if required.
Schools
Terminology for COVID-19 cases in schools has been updated to make it clearer and easier to understand.
Strong public health measures remain in place to support the health and safety of students, teachers and staff.
COVID-19 vaccination program
As of Jan. 24, 99,453 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Alberta. This is 2,249.1 doses per 100,000 population.
Due to interruptions in vaccine supply, no new first dose appointments will be booked for the next few weeks.
Alberta’s phased approach to vaccination focuses first on priority health-care workers and those who are at highest risk of severe outcomes.
COVID Care Teams outreach
A comprehensive outreach program is reaching communities with high levels of COVID-19 spread in Edmonton and Calgary.
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.
COVID Care Teams have assembled more than 58,000 care packages and have delivered half of them door-to-door. Packages have also been distributed through schools and via food hamper distribution.
Enforcement of public health measures
The government has granted certain Alberta peace officers and community peace officers temporary authority to enforce public health orders.
Not following mandatory restrictions will result in fines of $1,000 per ticketed offence and up to $100,000 through the courts.
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 Jan. 25, 304,087 Albertans were using the ABTraceTogether app, 66 per cent on iOS and 34 per cent on Android.
Secure contact tracing is a cornerstone of Alberta’s Relaunch Strategy.
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 500,000 Albertans have MHR accounts.
Influenza immunization
All Albertans, especially seniors and those at risk, are encouraged to get immunized against influenza.
More than 1,520,118 Albertans have received their flu shot.
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.
Please share acts of kindness during this difficult time at #AlbertaCares.
Alberta Connects Contact Centre (310-4455) is open Monday to Friday, 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.