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

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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.

Kenney to provide vaccine update at noon

Alberta will begin administering COVID-19 vaccine to seniors 75 and over and those living in congregate seniors’ care settings who have yet to receive the jab, Premier Jason Kenney said Friday.

The next steps come as all long-term care and designated supported living residents in Alberta public facilities have now received their second and final doses of vaccine, the premier said.

Kenney made the announcement during a morning appearance on Danielle Smith’s 770 CHQR radio show. He is expected to reveal more details about the next phase of vaccine rollout alongside Health Minister Tyler Shandro at a 12:30 p.m. press conference.

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There will not be a provincial COVID-19 update with Dr. Deena Hinshaw today.

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Third wave this spring in Canada if provinces keep relaxing COVID-19 measures, Tam warns

Canadian health officials on Friday said tough public measures should be maintained to prevent new variants of COVID-19 from triggering a third wave, just as some of the major provinces are relaxing restrictions.

Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, said a new longer-term forecast showed loosening measures could allow new daily cases to spike to 20,000 from around 2,900 at present.

“We are at a critical point in the pandemic… this model predicts that with more contagious variants spreading, further lifting of the public health measures will cause the epidemic to resurge rapidly and strongly,” she told a briefing.

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Today’s poll

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Yesterday’s poll results:

Study suggests writing letters to future self can lessen stress of COVID pandemic

At a time when it seems COVID-19 might never go away, the letter strikes an uncommonly hopeful note.

“With the new coronavirus vaccine, the pandemic has subsided and many people go out to eat or travel,” reports the writer. “I think you might be worried for a while, but a bright day will surely come. Until then, please take care of yourself.”

In fact, the correspondent was describing a future that for now can only be imagined. The note was penned as part of a Canadian-led study that points to a novel therapy for the stress and anxiety brought on by COVID-19 and related lockouts.

Subjects were asked to write letters to or from their future selves — an idea designed to visualize a time when today’s pressures have lifted. Doing so seemed to both reduce negative feelings and boost positive ones, the research suggests.

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December retail sales slump 3.4% as COVID restrictions bite

Canadian retail sales slumped by 3.4% in December to C$53.38 billion ($42.37 billion), the biggest monthly drop since April, as COVID-19 restrictions forced many businesses to shut down, Statistics Canada said on Friday.

Analysts in a Reuters poll had on average, forecast a 2.5% decline in overall sales in December. Statscan revised November’s gain up to 1.8% from an initial 1.3%.

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Calgary needs extra help with ‘extremely difficult’ economic recovery ahead: Nenshi

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Mayor Naheed Nenshi is warning that Calgary won’t bounce back as easily as other cities post-COVID, and he wants the federal and provincial governments to hear that message.

Nenshi sent a letter to Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland Thursday outlining Calgary’s asks ahead of the next federal budget. The Liberal government hasn’t yet set a date for releasing the 2021 budget, but it’s expected in the weeks ahead.

“I am very, very, very worried that our post-pandemic recovery will be difficult — extremely difficult for too many people,” Nenshi said. “And we have the power to change that, and we’ve got to take that power.”

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Thursday

‘Incredible gains’ made by Alberta’s contact tracing team, says health minister

Alberta’s contact tracing team has made “significant gains” with an influx of new workers since a system failure in November, says Health Minister Tyler Shandro.

The provincial contact tracing system was overwhelmed in the final months of 2020 with a rapid surge in COVID-19 cases. Alberta Health Services (AHS) couldn’t keep up with the demand, forcing them to only notify contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases in high-priority settings.

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Thursday

Lax adherence to COVID-19 precautions among causes of Foothills outbreaks, documents suggest

Lapses in compliance to some COVID-19 protocols were among the causes of the fall outbreak at Calgary’s Foothills Medical Centre that infected 95 and killed 12, according to internal Alberta Health Services emails.

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The emails, obtained by Postmedia through a Freedom of Information request, cite information provided by AHS Infection Prevention & Control on the origin of the outbreak.

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Thursday

Eau Claire YMCA to permanently close, citing economic pressures

YMCA Calgary announced Thursday their Eau Claire location will not reopen following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions.

The non-profit said the financial and economic pressures led to the decision to permanently close the Gray Family Eau Claire YMCA. The decision was made by the YMCA’s board of directors following a consultation process.

The branch opened on Oct. 17, 1988 and has contributed to the vibrancy of Calgary’s core in the intervening 30-plus years, according to YMCA Calgary board chair Patricia White.

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Thursday

Alberta government backtracks to include non-profit workers in $1,200 benefit

Workers at some Alberta non-profits will get the $1,200 benefit intended for frontline workers who served in critical roles throughout the pandemic after the government took a sudden U-turn Thursday.

When the Critical Worker Benefit application portal opened Wednesday evening, it specifically listed non-profit organizations as ineligible.

Labour Minister Jason Copping announced via Twitter Thursday afternoon that those providing services through non-profits who have provincial government grants or contracts could be eligible.

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Thursday

415 new cases, seven deaths

Dr. Deena Hinshaw provided an update on the COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta on Thursday afternoon. She was joined by Health Minister Tyler Shandro and Dr. Mark Joffe, Alberta Health Services vice-president, who provided an update on the province’s contact tracing capabilities.

• More than 2,300 contact tracers across the province, Shandro said; they are continuing to hire and train, he added, to increase capacity further
• 1,500 cases investigated per day
• 155,532 doses of vaccine administered; more than 58,000 Albertans fully immunized
• 415 new cases on 10,275 tests; 4.2% positivity rate
• 362 in hospital; 55 in ICUs
• Seven deaths; 1,805 total
• 4,887 active cases; 123,338 recovered
• Active alerts or outbreaks in 250 schools; 854 cases in these schools since Jan. 11

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Watch the full update below.

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