Alberta children have the highest rate of active COVID-19 cases of any age group
Children between the ages of five and nine years old currently have the most active COVID-19 cases in Alberta of any age group relative to its population, according to the latest provincial data.
As of Monday’s data update, 2,069 of the province’s 21,307 active cases are among those aged between five and nine.
That translates to 742 active cases per 100,000 people, the most of any age range.
- Kenney, Copping, Madu to join Hinshaw for Tuesday's COVID-19 briefing
- Infographics: COVID-19 in Alberta by the numbers
- COVID-19 in Edmonton: Numbers broken down by neighbourhood
Children aged 10-19 years old represent the second-highest active case rate at about 622 per 100,000.
The total number of active cases among school-aged children (between five and 19 years old) now stands at 5,439, an increase of 4,168 from the start of September.
“I really don't see this getting better without a full closure of non-essential businesses and potentially a closure of schools as well,” said Dr. Tehseen Ladha, a pediatrician.
“Overall children won't have severe outcomes, but if you increase the number of children who get infected, you increase the number of children with severe outcomes.”
Active cases are most frequent among those aged between 30 and 39 years old.
Those trends represent a reversal from the second wave of the pandemic last September, when active cases were largely centred around those aged 80 and over.
A spokesperson for Education Minister Adriana LaGrange declined an interview request Tuesday.
In August, she announced the province’s back-to-school plan that left health measures to school boards instead of creating province-wide rules.
Earlier Tuesday, the Alberta Teachers’ Association called for the provincial government to introduce mandatory vaccinations for all teachers and school staff.
“The best way to support student safety at a time when so many students cannot be vaccinated is to ensure that the adults around them are vaccinated,” said ATA president Jason Schilling.
Only children aged 12 or older are eligible to be vaccinated.
Manufacturer Pfizer has said it is seeking authorization for its vaccines to be used on children aged five and 11 after submitting testing data.
Health authorities in Toronto and Ottawa have said they have begun logistic planning to distribute vaccinations to younger children once the shot is approved for that age range.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former U.S. President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza city of Rafah kills at least 9 Palestinians, including 6 children
An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza's southernmost city killed at least nine people, six of them children, hospital authorities said Saturday, as Israel pursued its nearly seven-month offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
The House is on the brink of approving aid for Ukraine and Israel after months of struggle
The House is preparing in a rare Saturday session to approve US$95 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.