'Current wave is receding': Copping says Alta. has passed peak of sixth wave of COVID-19
The peak of the sixth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has passed in Alberta, Health Minister Jason Copping announced on Wednesday.
“The peak of BA.2 cases has passed, and the current wave is receding,” he said during the government’s weekly COVID-19 press conference.
Copping said between May 17 and May 23, the average COVID-19 positivity rate, as determined by PCR testing, was about 17.5 per cent, down from 20 per cent the week before.
Fifty five deaths were recorded last week, an average of eight deaths per day.
The minister made another push for Albertans to get vaccinated and to get their boosters.
“There’s still lots of COVID virus around, especially in Edmonton and Calgary, and we can’t expect it to go to zero,” he said. “It remains a real risk, especially to those who are unvaccinated or undervaccinated.”
Copping also announced that starting Thursday, Evushield will be available to Albertans who have had organ or cell transplants, blood cancer, or are taking certain immunocompromising drugs.
Evushield is not a treatment for COVID-19, but can help protect against the disease in those who are not infected.
Because the drug will only be available to a small portion of the population, it will only be prescribed through specialists who treat the requisite conditions.
While the BA.2 wave seems to be receding, the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants are starting to spread in other regions.
The province’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, said on Wednesday that Alberta has confirmed its first case of the BA.4 subvariant.
“Evidence suggests that BA.4 and BA.5 are more transmissible than earlier variants, but do not cause increased risk of severe illness,” she said, adding Albertans should expect to see more variants and subvariants of COVID-19 in the future.
Copping also announced Wednesday that while the province would continue to provide COVID-19 data on a weekly basis, in-person updates will be reduced to once every two weeks.
The next update is expected on June 6.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
BREAKING London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
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.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.