July 16, 2020 provincial COVID-19 News (video)

In total, 8,142 Albertans have now recovered from COVID-19. Hospitalization rates remain low with 69 people in hospital, eight of whom are in intensive care.

Latest updates

• 120 additional cases have been identified in the last 24 hours and the total number of active cases is now 807.

• Cases have been identified in all zones across the province:

  • Calgary zone: 362 active cases and 5,272 recovered

  • South zone: 90 active cases and 1,361 recovered

  • Edmonton zone: 217 active cases and 1,072 recovered

  • North zone: 55 active cases and 328 recovered

  • Central zone: 75 active cases and 92 recovered

  • Eight active cases and 17 recovered cases in zones to be confirmed

  • Additional information, including case totals, is online.

• To date, 1,051 cases have an unknown exposure.

• So far, labs have performed 560,493 tests on 481,161 Albertans, with 8,211 tests completed in the last 24 hours.

• There are two new deaths to report.

  • Total number of deaths is 165: 112 in the Calgary zone; 22 in the Edmonton zone; 17 in the North zone; 13 in the South zone; and one in the Central zone.

• There are 39 active cases and 758 recovered cases at continuing care facilities; 119 facility residents have died.

Daily case updates

• Daily case numbers are now updated every weekday and paused on holidays and weekends.

• Weekend and holiday case numbers are reported the next available business day.

• Daily breakdowns of the data will continue to keep Albertans fully informed. Government will alert Albertans if urgent developments occur on a weekend.

Misericordia Hospital

• Edmonton’s Misericordia Hospital remains closed to new patients because of a COVID-19 outbreak.

• Alberta Health Services and Covenant Health are monitoring the situation. For updates, please visit covenanthealth.ca.

Access to justice

• With court sittings relaunched provincewide, the Court of Queen’s Bench suspended the pandemic closure’s emergency/urgent hearing request process; requests now are directed to the court’s remote regular (morning) chambers.

• The Court of Queen’s Bench will hold some short hearings in July and August for judge-alone criminal trials via WebEx video and in-person, in courtrooms with COVID precautions.

• The Court of Queen’s Bench and provincial court are increasing in-person hearings. Everyone entering an Alberta courthouse must wear a face mask.

• Details on these three developments are at albertacourts.ca.

Alberta’s recovery plan

Alberta has launched a recovery plan to create jobs, accelerate economic diversification and ensure a strong future for our economy.

Supporting Alberta businesses through relaunch

• The Alberta Biz Connect web page has health and safety guidelines for general workplaces and specific industry sectors. Businesses are encouraged to check for new and updated guidance documents.

• A template on the website can help businesses plan how to protect employees and patrons from infection. Completing the template is voluntary.

Albertans downloading tracer app

• The ABTraceTogether app enhances manual contact tracing and capacity, and facilitates early detection. It means Albertans will be contacted more quickly if they are at risk.

• Use of the app is voluntary; users must opt in. The app currently has 225,816 registered users.

• Privacy is protected. The app does not track a user’s physical location or use GPS. All contact data is only on the user’s phone and is deleted after 21 days.  

• Secure contact tracing is a cornerstone of Alberta’s Relaunch Strategy.

Mental health supports

• Confidential supports are available to help with mental health concerns. 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. The Canadian Mental Health Association has resources at mentalhealthweek.ca.

• 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. The requirement for in-person applications is temporarily suspended.

• Information sheets and other resources on family violence prevention are at alberta.ca/COVID19.

Quick facts

• Good hygiene is the most important measure to prevent respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19.

  • Wash your hands regularly for at least 20 seconds, avoid touching your face, cough or sneeze into your elbow or sleeve, and dispose of tissues appropriately.

• Albertans are asked to share acts of kindness they have experienced in their community during this difficult time by using the hashtag #AlbertaCares.

• The Alberta Connects Contact Centre (310-4455) is available to Albertans Monday to Friday, from 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Provincial Press Release July 16, 2020 @ 6:16 PM