Alberta’s COVID-19 hospitalization rates remain low with 73 people currently in hospital, 12 of whom are in intensive care. In total, 4,659 Albertans have recovered from COVID-19. Two more Albertans have died.
Latest updates
47 new cases have been reported, bringing the number of total active cases to 1,524
Cases have been identified in all zones across the province:
1,011 active cases and 3,131 recovered cases in the Calgary zone
338 active cases and 809 recovered cases in the South zone
53 active cases and 437 recovered cases in the Edmonton zone
27 active cases and 181 recovered cases in the North zone
17 active cases and 81 recovered cases in the Central zone
Five active cases and 20 recovered cases in zones yet to be confirmed
Additional information, including the total number of cases, is reported online.
There have been 682 cases to date with an unknown exposure.
The total deaths are 117: 82 in the Calgary zone; 15 in the North zone; 12 in the Edmonton zone; seven in the South zone; and one in the Central zone.
There are 102 active cases and 542 recovered cases at continuing care facilities. Eighty-four residents at these facilities have died.
There are 36 active cases among workers from the Cargill meat processing plant in High River, and 911 have recovered.
There are 58 active cases among workers from JBS Foods Canada in Brooks, and 548 have recovered.
16 active cases have been confirmed at Harmony Beef, and 22 individuals have recovered.
There have been 175,502 people tested for COVID-19 and a total of 188,157 tests performed by the lab. In the last 24 hours, 2,864 tests have been completed.
From May 11-18, testing eligibility will be expanded in the Calgary zone to include anyone working outside of the home who is not experiencing symptoms. Up to 1,000 tests for this group can be done per day. Booking will be on a first-come, first-served basis through the Alberta Health Services online assessment tool.
Supporting Alberta businesses through relaunch
A new Alberta Biz Connect web page provides business owners with information on health and safety guidelines for general workplaces and sector-specific guidelines for those able to open in stage one of relaunch to ensure businesses can reopen safely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more information, visit alberta.ca/BizConnect
Access to justice
As the Provincial Court of Alberta’s COVID-19 response plan is being extended to manage scheduled (and to be scheduled) criminal matters, pre-trial conferences and pre-preliminary hearing conferences are now being conducted. More information.
Albertans downloading tracer app
The ABTraceTogether app will enhance current manual contact tracing and capacity, and facilitate early detection to help reduce the spread of the virus and better protect Albertans. 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 does not track the user’s physical location and does not use GPS. Protecting privacy is paramount; 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. More information on the app, including links to download it, can be found online.
The app currently has 159,245 registered users.
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 are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Canadian Mental Health Association has a variety of resources available 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 is available at 310-1818 to get 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.
The requirement for in-person Emergency Protection Order (EPO) applications for those fleeing family violence has been temporarily suspended; provincial courts can now hear applications for EPOs via telecommunication.
Information sheets and other resources on family violence prevention are available at alberta.ca/COVID19.
Quick facts
The most important measure Albertans can take to prevent respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, is to practise good hygiene.
This includes cleaning your hands regularly for at least 20 seconds, avoiding touching your face, coughing or sneezing into your elbow or sleeve, and disposing of tissues appropriately.
Any individual exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, including cough, fever, runny nose, sore throat or shortness of breath, is eligible for testing. People can access testing by completing the COVID-19 self-assessment online. A separate self-assessment tool is available for health-care and shelter workers, enforcement and first responders. After completing the form, there is no need to call 811.
All Albertans need to work together to overcome COVID-19. Albertans are asked to share acts of kindness they have experienced in their community during this difficult time by using the hashtag #AlbertaCares.
Provincial Press Release May 11, 2020 @ 5:18 PM
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