Alberta to report COVID-19 data once a week
Alberta has announced it will only report COVID-19 data on Wednesdays going forward.
The province will also hold a weekly COVID-19 press conference on Wednesdays.
"Alberta is going through a period of transition. As we shift out of crisis mode and move toward endemic response, we can make adjustments to the way we operate," Health Minister Jason Copping said.
"We're at a point where trends over longer periods of time are more relevant than day-to-day fluctuations."
For the last two years, the province has updated its website on weekdays with daily data such as new and active cases, deaths, hospitalizations and vaccinations.
The frequency of live COVID-19 updates has varied since March of 2020, from every day to a few times a week, or none at all when Alberta opened for summer.
Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said weekly reporting is "the right thing to do."
"Reducing the frequency of reporting is what makes the most sense in our current situation," Hinshaw said.
"As we go forward, COVID-19 will be one of likely several respiratory viruses that we need to be tracking and monitoring, so one of the things we're looking at is an ability to regularly report on respiratory viruses and the picture of what that looks like in the province."
LATEST NUMBERS
The province has 6,449 known active cases after it reported 593 infections from PCR tests.
COVID-19 cases are likely much higher due to testing limits and because the province does not count results from take-home rapid tests.
There are 989 people in hospital with the disease, including 70 in intensive care.
"It does not appear that easing measures has caused an uptick in numbers since we entered Step 1 on Feb. 8," Copping said.
"We continue to see a decline or plateau in both our lagging and leading indicators."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Premier Legault reiterates that McGill pro-Palestinian camp must be dismantled
Quebec Premier François Legault reiterated that the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University must be dismantled while police remain 'on the lookout for new developments.'
Houston braces for flooding to worsen in wake of storms
High waters flooded neighborhoods around Houston on Saturday following heavy rains that have already resulted in crews rescuing hundreds of people from homes, rooftops and roads engulfed in murky water.