Alberta reports 61 new COVID-19 cases during Hinshaw's last scheduled update

EDMONTON -

Alberta is reporting 61 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday, including 16 variant cases, during the chief medical officer of health’s last scheduled COVID-19 update.

Alberta currently has 1,132 active COVID-19 cases, the lowest number since Aug. 26, according to Dr. Deena Hinshaw. The positivity rate for the province is sitting at 1.6 per cent after 3,453 tests on Monday.

“Across the board our numbers are moving in the right direction. Cases, hospitalizations, ICU admissions and our positivity rate are the lowest they’ve been since last summer,” said Hinshaw. “We should all be proud of these numbers and take heart in them.

“If we all keep making wise choices and more people get vaccinated, active cases could fall below 500 in a few short weeks.”

She also added that there are only five COVID-19 cases in all the continuing care facilities across Alberta.

There are currently 170 Albertans in hospital due to COVID-19, including 36 in intensive care. There have been four new deaths due to the disease, bringing Alberta’s total to 2,299.

“It is to prevent outcomes like this that immunization is so important,” said Hinshaw.

The province is changing the data it uses to report the percentage of Albertans who have been vaccinated to be in line with the federal government and many other provinces in Canada, according to Hinshaw.

The province will now use the Statistics Canada July 2020 population data for vaccination rate reporting, rather than Alberta Health’s 2021 population data.

Tuesday, the province reported that 72.7 per cent of eligible Albertans have received a single vaccine dose and 40.7 per cent have been fully vaccinated.

Vaccine trials are underway for children under 12, who are not eligible for any COVID-19 vaccines yet. Hinshaw said there is no timeline yet for if or when a vaccine will be approved for that age group.

She advised that the best way to protect younger Albertans is for people in their lives who are eligible to get vaccinated to do so.

Hinshaw added that crowded indoor spaces tend to be higher risk spaces, rather than outdoor spaces.

Many municipalities in the province are set to lift their own mandatory mask bylaws on July 1, like the province, but still recommend wearing masks.

RARE VACCINE SIDE EFFECT

Hinshaw addressed reports from Israel and the U.S. of “a rare side effect” that caused heart lining and heart muscle lining inflammation after Pfizer and Moderna vaccine doses.

“This side effect is being seen most often in younger people, mostly males,” said Hinshaw.

“The heart inflammation reported after the second dose is almost always very mild, resolving with anti-inflammatory treatment.”

She said Canada and the U.K. had not seen similar numbers to the U.S. and Israel, “possibly due to the fact that second doses in younger people have not yet been given in large numbers.”

“Young people who get infected with COVID-19 have about 100 times greater risk of experiencing heart inflammation than what is being seen after the second dose in Israel and the U.S.,” said Hinshaw.

She added that advisory bodies in the U.S., Israel and Alberta determined that the benefit of being immunized “far outweighs” the risks.

“I continue to recommend that all Albertans 12 and older get the vaccine, first and second doses, to be protected.”

Hinshaw added that since January, 95 per cent of people infected with COVID-19 had not received a dose of a vaccine, “or hadn’t yet developed immunity from the first dose.” The same is true for 92 per cent of people hospitalized with the disease in that time frame.

“Vaccines are safe,” said Hinshaw.

ALBERTA IN STAGE 3

Alberta is set to remove all public health restrictions on Thursday. Masks will still be required under provincial regulations in certain circumstances, including on transit, in taxis and ride shares.

“While cases are dropping and spread is declining, COVID-19 is not going away completely. It remains a potentially serious illness that we must keep respecting,” said Hinshaw.

She reminded Albertans who feel “even a little unwell” to stay home and get a COVID-19 test.

Beginning on July 5, two designated support people will be allowed to visit patients at the same time at AHS acute care facilities in the province, according to Hinshaw.

Hinshaw also advised Albertans to do research before travelling as some places may still require incoming travelers to quarantine.

“There will be challenges in the months ahead. We will still identify new cases and outbreaks will occur, but we are watching closely, ready to act as needed, and I am confident that we will get through this, as we always have, together,” said Hinshaw.

Contact tracing and variant screening will continue to happen. Hinshaw added that COVID-19 will become one of many illnesses and risks Albertans deal with every day, not the main one.

Hinshaw announced June 22 that she would stop giving twice-weekly COVID-19 updates. Data will be announced online going forward unless a live update is “needed.”

An increase in cases and hospitalizations could prompt a live update from the chief medical officer of health, but she added that there could be “good news stories,” such as lifting more restrictions, that would prompt one as well.