COVID-19 Live Updates: News on coronavirus in Calgary for Feb. 11

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With news on COVID-19 happening rapidly, we’ve created this page to bring you our latest stories and information on the outbreak in and around Calgary.

What’s happening now

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My COVID Story: How have you been impacted by coronavirus?

Postmedia is looking to speak with people who may have been impacted by COVID-19 here in Alberta. Are you quarantining due to being exposed to the variant? Have you received your vaccine, and if so did you feel any side effects? Send us an email at reply@calgaryherald.com to tell us your experience, or send us a message via this form.

Read our ongoing coverage of personal stories arising from the pandemic.

Alberta logs 314 more COVID-19 cases, 15 more variant infections ahead of long weekend

Alberta reported another 314 cases of COVID-19 Friday as the province enters the Family Day long weekend.

The newly reported infections come from 8,410 tests, representing a 3.7 per cent positivity rate, in-line with the seven-day average.

As well, Alberta reported 15 more infections found to be variant strains of the novel coronavirus. The 15 additional variant cases are all the B117 strain first detected in the United Kingdom; Alberta has now logged 164 cases of that strain, as well as seven of the B1351 variant that originated in South Africa.

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314 new cases, 16 deaths

There was no live stream update from Dr. Deena Hinshaw on COVID-19 on Friday and there isn’t another one scheduled until after the long-weekend on Tuesday.

The latest COVID-19 statistics for Alberta:

• 314 new cases on 8,410 tests
• 16 deaths; 1,760 total
• 5,407 active cases; 121,068 recovered
• 371 in hospital; 66 in ICUs

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Why Canada is at the mercy of vaccine nationalism during the COVID pandemic

As Canada scrambles with the rest of the world to secure vaccines, one major issue has been this country’s lack of domestic production. It is an issue that will leave Canada at the mercy of vaccine nationalism until at least the end of 2021.

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Increased cases of COVID variants spell potential third wave, Tam warns

Canada’s top doctors say COVID-19 infections appear to be on a downward trend but worrisome variants are posing an increasing threat to containing the pandemic.

Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam says aggressive vaccinations will play a key part in addressing COVID-19 spread but that is just one suppression tool as modelling data in the nation’s hot spots point to a likely third wave.

Tam said at least three provinces are reporting evidence of community spread of the new, more transmissible variants.

There are more than 429 cases of the variant first identified in the U.K., and 28 cases of the variant first identified in South Africa reported across eight provinces, she said.

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Here’s how a hotel quarantine in Canada compares with other countries

Starting Feb 22, some international travellers flying to Canada will have to quarantine for a minimum of three days at a selected hotel, as part of the federal response to clamp down on the surge of COVID-19 cases across the country.

Many have questioned the efficacy of the new hotel quarantine rules and are especially queasy about the cost of staying in a hotel for the allotted time — three days with a mandatory bill of $2,000.

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Canada isn’t the only country to implement a hotel quarantine. Since last year, New Zealand and Australia has carried out a strict hotel quarantine regime that has been lauded as a contributor to the low number of cases in the two nations. The United Kingdom, as of this month, has also implemented its own set of rules around quarantining in a hotel.

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Related: Calgary lawyers challenge Ottawa’s hotel quarantine order

Mandatory hotel quarantine for international air travellers not meant to be punitive, Trudeau says

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the government isn’t aiming to punish international air travellers by requiring them to spend up to three days in a hotel quarantine when returning to Canada at their own expense.

As concerns rise around COVID-19 variants that make it more transmissible, Trudeau and other government ministers spent Friday outlining a series of new border measures meant to crack down on non-essential travellers.

Trudeau said Canada now has “some of the strongest measures in the world” on its borders. He said the new rule for air travellers, which takes effect Feb. 22, is the only way the government can ensure travellers aren’t spreading the virus while waiting for a PCR test result.

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Vaughn Palmer: B.C. readies plans to stop visitors at the Alberta border, if needed

Vancouver Sun columnist Vaughn Palmer writes:

B.C. is working on “plans and protocols” to restrict non-essential travel from the rest of Canada, Premier John Horgan confirmed this week.

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Horgan was responding to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s statement leaving border control between provinces up to the provinces themselves.

Was B.C. contemplating “any specific border restrictions?” Horgan was asked during his weekly news conference on Wednesday.

“Not at this time,” he replied, but added: “We have staff working on various plans and protocols that we could put in place — we don’t want to get caught short.”

He said the province was consulting the same officials “that we used to shore up the federal government … by putting provincial government workers at various border points across the U.S. border.”

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COVID-19 in brief from around the country

The Saskatchewan government says the total number of vaccinations against COVID-19 in the province is 46,788 — all the vaccine that has been received to date. It says it must now review its distribution plans because a shipment of Moderna vaccine the week of Feb. 22 will be less than originally expected.

Manitoba is reporting 81 new COVID-19 cases and four deaths. Health officials say they have still found only one case involving a variant of concern — a case reported last week involving a traveller who self-isolated.

New Brunswick is reporting five new cases of COVID-19 today. There have been 22 deaths in the province since the start of the pandemic, and the number of active cases is 156.

Quebec is reporting 984 new cases and 25 more deaths. Health officials say hospitalizations dropped by 25, to 849, and 137 patients were in intensive care, a drop of six.

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Ontario says there are 1,076 new cases in the province and 18 more deaths. Health Minister Christine Elliott says that 361 of those new cases are in Toronto, 210 are in Peel Region, and are 122 in York Region.

Calgary law firm representing cannabis CEO challenging Ottawa’s hotel quarantine order

Federal government measures requiring people entering Canada to quarantine in approved hotels for a minimum three days violates the Charter and should be struck down, a Federal Court challenge says.

An application filed by Calgary law firm Rath and Company, on behalf of Dominic Colvin, the CEO of cannabis company CannaPharmaRx, argues the measures announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are unlawful.

Colvin flew to his home on Saint Martin on Jan. 24, 2021, at a time when a government travel advisory strongly discouraged any non-essential travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A few days later, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced strict new measures to dissuade Canadians from travelling abroad as the country grapples with the spread of the novel coronavirus, including a mandatory three-day quarantine in government-selected hotels upon return at a cost of up to $2,000.

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Related: Cannabis CEO sues federal government over decision to ‘incarcerate’ travellers in quarantine hotels.

Thursday

22 face-mask tickets, 10 Public Health Act tickets issued in Calgary in last week

The City of Calgary provided an update on local enforcement of public health measures in the last week.

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There were 22 more tickets issued to people for failing to wear a face covering where required as well as 10 more violation tickets issued under Alberta’s Public Health Act.

Since Aug. 1, the city has issued 182 tickets to people for not wearing a face mask while it has issued 192 tickets since 192 under the Public Health Act.

The tickets issued were up slightly from the previous week, which saw peace officers and Calgary Police Service officers issue 20 tickets for failing to wear a face mask and nine tickets under the public health act.

“This team is conducting regular inspections,” the city said in a news release Thursday. “Any non-essential business found operating in contravention of the PHA could face multiple fines and the possibility of suspension or revocation of their business licence coupled with the charges.”

Thursday

‘Better late than never’: Frontline workers happy to receive $1,200 benefit as businesses wait for details

Barbara Spysznyk has been serving up smoked meats and cheese at the Italian Centre deli counter throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

She’s eligible for Alberta’s one-time $1,200 critical worker benefit, and says once she receives it the first thing she’ll do is pay down some bills.

“Also, I might treat myself with ice cream,” she said Thursday.

Like many workers and union representatives reacting to Wednesday’s news, she said the benefit is better late than never.

“I am very happy and all the employees around me — the same,” said Spysznyk.

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Thursday

Alberta variant COVID-19 cases continue to rise as hospitalizations fall

Alberta saw variant cases of COVID-19 jump from 120 to 156 on Thursday, representing the largest single-day increase in recorded variants since mid-December.

Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, said the 36 new cases were actually detected over several days but there are some delays between the original COVID-19 test and screening for the more contagious strains.

Hinshaw said many of the new cases were found after health authorities conducted “intensive follow-up” of cases and through double testing close contacts.

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Thursday

Providence Therapeutics inks deal with Manitoba to provide made-in-Calgary COVID vaccine

A Canadian biotechnology company has inked a deal with the province of Manitoba to provide it with two million doses of a home-grown COVID-19 vaccine that would be manufactured in Calgary.

The deal is a significant win for Providence Therapeutics, which has offices in Toronto and Calgary and started clinical trials on its messenger RNA-based vaccine last month. The company hopes to receive Health Canada approval for its product this fall and has partnered with another Calgary company, Northern RNA, which aims to develop vaccine manufacturing capacity in this city.

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Thursday

Four things to do with your beau in Calgary this pandemic Valentine’s Day

While love in the time of COVID may not be ideal, there are a number of ways you can still celebrate this year’s Valentine’s Day with the one you love.

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Hospitalizations and deaths in Alberta

Thursday

351 new cases, 16 deaths; Border testing pilot to be suspended at Calgary airport

Alberta chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw provided an update on the COVID-19 pandemic in the province on Thursday afternoon.

• 135,000 doses of vaccine administered; 42,000 Albertans fully immunized
• 351 new cases on 9,968 tests; 3.5% positivity rate
• 397 in hospital; 71 in ICUs
• 16 additional deaths; 1,744 total
• 5,501 active cases; 120,676 recovered
• Active alerts or outbreaks in 311 schools; 897 cases in these schools since Jan. 11
• 155 cases of in-school transmission
• Hinshaw said the border pilot at the Calgary International Airport will be suspended when the new federal rules around testing come into effect on Feb. 15; the pilot will continue at the land crossing at Coutts for the time being
• The province reported 36 more variant cases; Hinshaw said they were detected over a one-week time span
• 156 total variant cases; 96 have no link to travel
• No additional cases of in-school transmission of variants

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You can watch the full update below.

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