COVID-19 Live Updates: News on coronavirus in Calgary for March 1

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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.  Have you undergone a travel-related quarantine? Have you received your vaccine, and if so did you feel any side effects? Have you changed your life for the better because of the pandemic? 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.

Calgary pharmacies offering COVID-19 vaccine

This map details all the Calgary pharmacies that are offering the COVID-19 vaccine. Currently the vaccine is open to all Albertans born in the year 1946 or earlier. Appointments are still necessary and can be booked by contacting the participating pharmacies. Details on booking your vaccine jab at a pharmacy can be found here.

COVID anxiety a constant for front-line Calgary Transit workers

John Othen’s family doesn’t know how he caught COVID-19.

The 73-year-old Calgary bus driver of more than four decades spent weeks in hospital late last year after testing positive. The family was relieved when he was well enough to come home just before Christmas, but he didn’t fully recover.

A few weeks later, he had to be taken to hospital again, and he died of COVID complications on Jan. 14.

Othen’s daughter, Raye-Lynn Graham, said her dad was following public-health precautions around COVID and safety measures were in place for him at work. But the family wonders whether he might have been exposed to the coronavirus on a bus, given the number of people who would have crossed his path each day.

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Montreal’s Olympic Stadium opens to vaccinating elderly as Canada plays catch-up

As COVID-19 vaccinations ramp-up in Canada, one of the country’s largest stadiums is preparing to receive thousands of elderly, while provinces enlist dentists, midwives and chiropractors to help meet the expected rush for jabs.

Starting today, Montreal’s cavernous Olympic Stadium, which once hosted young athletes during the 1976 summer games, will welcome residents aged 85 and over for vaccinations.

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Albertans encouraged to plan upcoming spring break around public health measures

Alberta Health is encouraging people to plan their upcoming spring breaks around public health measures as survey results show more Albertans intend to travel domestically than those in other provinces.

While only eight per cent of Canadian respondents said they intend to travel during spring break this month, 19 per cent of those surveyed from Alberta said they are planning to take a trip, according to survey results released last week by Leger, a Canadian-owned polling and marketing research firm. This is 10 per cent greater than any other region in the country.

Of the 19 per cent who said they are planning to travel, 12 per cent say they won’t leave Alberta, six per cent will journey inter-provincially and one per cent have international trips on their itinerary.

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Retail industry hopes for capacity boost today as Alberta logs 301 more COVID-19 cases

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Alberta will decide whether to enter the second stage of its economic relaunch today, further easing public health restrictions in some sectors.

The choice comes as Alberta emerges from a weekend that saw heightened COVID-19 positivity rates and dozens of new cases of more-contagious variants.

Some restrictions could be lifted in the areas of retail, banquet halls, community halls, conference centres and hotels, with revised measures potentially coming into effect the same day.

Alberta reported another 301 cases of COVID-19 along with three deaths Sunday.

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Hospitalizations continue to fall in Alberta

COVID-19 fight has relied too much on uncertain math modelling, some scientists say

The first several pages of the Public Health Agency’s epidemiological update last week struck an optimistic note. The number of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths were all falling steadily after a major early winter surge.

Then came slide 13 in the presentation, an alarming new model of what could happen next.

Based on more transmissible variants of the virus spreading widely, it showed an almost vertical spike in the case count should public health restrictions be eased. An only slightly less mountainous climb would occur into March and April, even if current lockdown measures were kept in place.

The only way to avoid a feared third wave of COVID-19 illness, the report suggested, was by imposing new restrictions.

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It was a sobering message, but hardly unfamiliar by now. Almost since the pandemic began, scientists have been using high-level mathematics and powerful computers to churn out models of how the virus might spread and affect Canadian society, and what mitigation measures would do to slow it down.

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GraceLife Church holds another in-person service despite closure order, pastor’s arrest

In-person Sunday Service continued for a Parkland County church despite a public health closure order and its pastor remaining in custody after being charged with breaking COVID-19 restrictions.

Vehicles carrying families and individuals lined up along Range Road 262 Sunday for GraceLife Church’s 10:45 a.m. service. The parking lot was packed by 10:30 a.m.

RCMP and peace officers made their presence known with both marked and unmarked cruisers. A few RCMP vehicles were positioned near the church, just off of its property, while three peace officer vehicles were stationed just down the highway.

Parkland County RCMP issued a 1:20 p.m. Sunday statement, saying the “investigation into the circumstances of the operations of the GraceLife Church continue.”

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Anti-maskers and counter-protesters face off at Calgary city hall

Duelling demonstrations took place on Saturday afternoon, one week after a similar rally in Edmonton where hundreds of protesters and counter-protesters gathered at the legislature grounds.

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Anti-racism protesters called out white supremacy as leaders of the anti-mask movement held tiki torches in front of Calgary city hall, reminding some of a deadly 2017 white nationalist torch rally in Charlottesville, Va.

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From lockdowns to spring break, provinces split on next steps in COVID-19 fight

Canada’s pandemic hotspots are taking diverging approaches to handling the COVID-19 crisis, as Ontario prepares to trigger new lockdown measures in two public health units and Quebec enters a week of spring break.

The country’s chief public health officer urged Canadians on Sunday to continue following public health measures as a way of buying critical time as vaccine programs ramp up.

“Aiming to have the fewest interactions with the fewest number of people, for the shortest time, at the greatest distance possible is a simple rule that we can all apply to help limit the spread of COVID-19,” Dr. Theresa Tam said in a statement.

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