COVID-19 Live Updates: News on coronavirus in Calgary for May 13

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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 had an upcoming surgery postponed? Do you have a family member in the ICU, or have you recovered after spending time in the ICU? 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.

Doctor’s note now required for mask exemptions, says Hinshaw; 1,558 new cases of COVID-19 recorded

Albertans who have an eligible medical condition that allows for a mask exemption are now required to carry a doctor’s note, the province’s top doctor said Thursday in response to some people finding “loopholes” in existing guidelines.

Effective Thursday, a medical exemption letter provided by a nurse practitioner, physician or psychologist is required to verify qualified medical conditions, such as sensory processing disorders, cognitive impairment, facial trauma and recent oral or jaw surgeries.

“There have been some incidents reported in the media where individuals who are not following public health rules are perhaps seeking loopholes or areas in the rules where it’s not clear,” said Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health.

“That’s sometimes challenging our local law enforcement teams to be able to remind people of the importance of following these rules and the fact that they are not optional. They are mandatory.”

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Delayed second Pfizer COVID-19 shot produces more antibodies: Study

Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine generates antibody responses three-and-a-half times larger in older people when a second dose is delayed to 12 weeks after the first, a British study said.

The study released on Friday is the first to directly compare immune responses of the Pfizer shot from the three-week dosing interval tested in clinical trials, and the extended 12-week interval that British officials recommend in order to give more vulnerable people at least some protection quickly.

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‘Exceptional situation’: COVID-19 causes temporary closures of some rural Alberta emergency departments

Three rural Alberta emergency departments have had to temporarily shut their doors due to staffing shortages related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Wednesday, Alberta Health Services (AHS) announced the Rocky Mountain House Health Centre emergency department would be closed for 13 hours, between 6 p.m. Wednesday and 7 a.m. Thursday. The Elk Point Healthcare Centre emergency department closed for 24 hours beginning Thursday at 8 a.m., while the Fairview Health Complex emergency department was closed between 7 p.m. Tuesday and 7 a.m. Wednesday.

AHS vice-president of quality and chief medical officer Dr. Francois Belanger said physicians are being impacted by COVID-19 in a number of different ways, leading to the temporary closures.

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2 million doses of vaccine administered; Letter now required for masking medical exemptions

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

The latest COVID-19 numbers:

• 1,558 new cases on 15,266 tests
• 722 in hospital; 177 in ICUs
• Nine additional deaths; 2,132 total
• 24,586 active cases; 188,475 recovered

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Watch the full livestream below.

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‘Turmoil time’: Health inspectors step up personal security amid backlash

Since COVID-19’s arrival, Meaghen Allen says her job now includes protecting herself along with the health of Albertans.

While still determined to carry out their duties, the Alberta Health Services inspector says often white-hot hostility generated by their enforcement actions has put her and her colleagues on the defensive.

That mounting stress has some questioning whether they want to carry on, said Allen, who has done the work for almost 15 years.

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COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths in Alberta

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Organizers hold out hope for a ‘very different’ Stampede this summer

Organizers of the Calgary Stampede say they’re still planning, and hoping, for the greatest outdoor show on earth to go ahead this July, but with a much different feel.

Dana Peers, interim CEO of the Calgary Stampede, says being flexible is all the organization can do at the moment, with the safety of the community being the first priority.

“Any planning needs to be thinking about what could July hold. We’re, as an organization, certainly confident that the actions our community takes today will have a powerful effect on July and what might be possible then,” he says.

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Inmate dies in COVID-19 outbreak at Bowden Institution

An inmate at the Bowden Institution north of Calgary died of complications related to COVID-19, according to Correctional Services Canada.

The man, who was in his 50s, died on Tuesday, according to a release.

The inmate’s next of kin have been notified, and the coroner will review the circumstances of his death, as is standard practice with the death of any inmate of a federal institution.

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Photos show crosshairs aimed at officers near Mirror, RCMP seek tips

RCMP are asking for tips after photos with the crosshairs of a gun aimed at officers were posted online during an ‘anti-lockdown’ rally last weekend at the Whistle Stop Cafe near Mirror, south of Edmonton.

The photos appearing to target officers were posted online the same day as the rally.

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Doug Ford extends Ontario’s stay-at-home order to June 2 — golf courses not exempt

Ontario is extending its stay-at-home order until June 2 to bring down high rates of COVID-19, a move Premier Doug Ford said was necessary to bring infection cases down and “save the summer.”

That means thousands of businesses and public schools will remain closed until the order is lifted. Outdoor recreational facilities will also remain closed, a decision public health experts have said is misguided and has consequences for people’s physical and mental health.

The government’s science advisers have said banning outdoor activities will not control COVID-19 and disproportionately harm children and those who don’t have access to their own green space. And Golf Ontario has told the Ford government that “golf is safe” and urged it reopen courses.

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Airborne vs. droplets: How a scientific debate over COVID spread turned into an online war

Dr. John Conly is no slouch as an infectious disease specialist.

He’s an international leader in fighting antibiotic resistance, was inducted into the Order of Canada and now chairs an expert committee that advises the World Health Organization on COVID-19 infection control.

But when the University of Calgary professor downplayed the role of airborne transmission of the virus during a panel discussion last month — then was the subject of an unflattering news story — the response was harsh.

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Social media attacks compared Conly and like-thinking colleagues to Auschwitz doctor Josef Mengele, called him stupid and a quack, and suggested he was responsible for “millions” of deaths.

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Chief Mountain border crossing to remain temporarily closed

The Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) says the Chief Mountain Alberta border crossing will remain closed until further notice.

The seasonally-open crossing into Montana is usually open from May 15 to Sept. 30. It remained closed all last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a release, CBSA says the crossing will remain closed until international travel restrictions are lifted.

Alternate border crossing options include the Carway border crossing (Alberta Highway 2) from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the Coutts border crossing (Alberta Highway 4) open 24 hours a day.

Calgary Expo says July event is off, but tells ticket holders to ‘hang tight’

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The organizers behind Calgary Expo say they have something in the works for this year — but it won’t be in late July and early August.

The annual entertainment event was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19. Organizers had been aiming for an event from July 30 to Aug. 2.

In a tweet, organizers said ticket holders will have several options, including using their tickets at next year’s event, at another event this year, or a refund.

The Twitter release also tells fans to expect more details next month.

Calgary Expo is an annual multi-day fan entertainment convention that features meet and greet events with television and film stars. The event started in 2005 as a comic book convention before expanding into other entertainment forms.

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Scientists challenge vaccine-makers’ claim that we will need a COVID-19 booster shot

COVID-19 vaccine developers are making ever bolder assertions that the world will need yearly booster shots, or new vaccines to tackle concerning coronavirus variants, but some scientists question when, or whether, such shots will be needed.

In interviews with Reuters, more than a dozen influential infectious disease and vaccine development experts said there is growing evidence that a first round of global vaccinations may offer enduring protection against the coronavirus and its most worrisome variants discovered to date.

Some of these scientists expressed concern that public expectations around COVID-19 boosters are being set by pharmaceutical executives rather than health specialists, although many agreed that preparing for such a need as a precaution was prudent.

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Mixing COVID vaccines is safe, despite more mild-moderate symptoms, study suggests

People who receive one dose each of AstraZeneca and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines are more likely to feel a bit unwell for a day or so than if they had both doses from the same vaccine, according to early results from a much-anticipated trial.

But any side effects were short-lived and there were no other safety concerns.

At a minimum, the preliminary data suggest mixing AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech appears safe, even though people are more likely to experience chills, fatigue, headache, feverishness, joint pain, malaise and muscle aches than the “non-mixed” group.

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Wednesday

‘The new copper’: Spiking wood prices send lumber thefts skyrocketing in Calgary

Framer Andre Portelance was wondering why a police helicopter was recently circling the sky near his construction site in the northwest community of Sage Bluff.

He soon discovered the chase was on for a thief stealing lumber, one of a tsunami of thefts driven by the high price of construction wood.

“This guy was putting in a fence and had gone for lunch and a guy just pulled up in a cube van and started loading it up with his wood,” said Portelance.

“The guy came back, saw the cube van and followed him and pretty soon the police helicopter was up here. I think they caught him.”

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Wednesday

Alberta suspends legislature again, closed until after May long weekend

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The Alberta legislature will stay closed until after the May long weekend citing concerns around the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a letter from the legislature’s Speaker on Wednesday.

The legislature was suspended last week and was set to open for the spring sitting on Monday. But a Wednesday memo from Speaker Nathan Cooper says the legislature will close again because the “ongoing health concerns arising from the pandemic.”

In the memo, Cooper says his office and the legislative assembly have been working on ways to operate remotely.

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Wednesday

‘It’s been a challenge’: Thirty-five Calgary-area daycares have active COVID-19 outbreaks

As Calgary’s COVID-19 infection rates remain high during the pandemic’s third wave, dozens of child-care facilities in and around the city are reporting virus outbreaks.

As of Tuesday, Alberta lists 35 child-care facilities in the Alberta Health Services Calgary zone that have an active outbreak.

An outbreak is declared when there are five or more cases at one location. It ends when four weeks have passed since the last case was identified.

Across the 35 daycares and preschools, located in Calgary, Airdrie and Crossfield, there are 536 total cases, including 319 that remain active.

The largest outbreaks are at Magic Mountain Daycare (Crossings) in Airdrie, which has recorded 69 cases and Calgary’s Thornhill Child Care Centre, which has had 39 cases.

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Wednesday

Questions remain on use of remaining AstraZeneca vaccine; Alberta records almost 1,800 new cases

A 63-year-old Calgarian says he’s watching the Government of Alberta website “like a hawk” so he can book his second dose of AstraZeneca as soon as possible considering the province’s limited supply.

Alberta’s top doctor announced on Tuesday the province would be halting the use of AstraZeneca for first doses because of “global supply challenges.”

Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the provincial chief medical officer of health, said the remaining 8,000 doses will be saved for primarily second jabs despite more than 30 times that many Albertans having already received their first dose of AstraZeneca.

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David Bertram, who received his first shot on March 11, was among the first eligible for the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine during Phase 2B of Alberta’s vaccine rollout strategy due to high-risk underlying health conditions. Bertram is currently battling cancer.

He said he consulted two doctors who told him to take the first vaccine available to him.

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Wednesday

1,799 new cases, four deaths

The latest COVID-19 numbers for Alberta:

Wednesday

Banff records first COVID-19 death as town’s case numbers drop sharply

While its COVID-19 numbers have dropped dramatically in recent days, the town of Banff on Wednesday announced its first death linked to the virus, a man in his 40s.

Banff-Lake Louise has fallen from its perch as Alberta’s worst COVID-19 hotspot in terms of active cases, with the rate per 100,000 people dropping from 1,219 two weeks ago to 349, say emergency officials.

But at the same time, Banff announced its first COVID-19 fatality, 43-year-old Ron Giesbrecht, who was launching a new business, Rundle Mountain Ink when he died, said Mayor Karen Sorensen in a written statement and video.

Wednesday

Four people ticketed after hundreds attend anti-lockdown rally at Alberta cafe: RCMP

RCMP say they ticketed four people after an anti-lockdown rally was attended by hundreds in central Alberta over the weekend.

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A “Save Alberta Campout Protest” was held Saturday outside the Whistle Stop Cafe in the hamlet of Mirror, Alta., to support owner Chris Scott as health officials had closed his business earlier in the week.

Alberta Health Services had said they received hundreds of complaints about the cafe and that it had not been complying with COVID-19 restrictions.

Read more.

Wednesday

I got AstraZeneca. Now what? Here’s what Canadians need to know about the COVID vaccine

More than two million Canadians are likely wondering what’s next after several provinces — Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario — pushed the pause button on first doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine for COVID-19.

Alberta and Saskatchewan say it’s a matter of supply constraints; there simply isn’t enough AstraZeneca in the provinces. Ontario is pausing first doses out of an “abundance of caution” over the risk of VITT — vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia — an unusual clotting disorder that can cause rare cases of serious blood clots, including clots in the brain and other critical organs. Ontario is also expecting increased supplies of Pfizer and Moderna, mRNA vaccines that haven’t been linked with VITT. The risk-benefit has shifted, experts say. Here’s a breakdown of where things stand with the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Click here for a breakdown of where things stand with the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Wednesday

Province partners with business chambers on rapid testing

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Alberta is announcing a new partnership with Alberta Chambers of Commerce which will make it easier for small local businesses to obtain and use COVID-19 rapid test kits.

The agreement will have local chambers of commerce across Alberta receive rapid test kits and a pre-approved screening plan from Alberta Health.

Chambers will then distribute the tests to business and not-for-profit organizations in the community. Business and organizations that receive the tests will report testing numbers back to their local chamber each week, and those statistics will be shared with Alberta Health.

Wednesday

Almost a third of international air travellers allowed to skip quarantine hotel, but government won’t say why

Almost one third of all air travellers arriving in Canada have been allowed to skip the mandatory stay in a government-approved quarantine hotel, a rate of exemption from the controversial COVID-19 control measure that could undermine its public health goals.

About 88,000 arriving international air travellers were deemed exempt from the expensive hotel stay requirement, according to the most recent data from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). The agency would not provide a breakdown of the reasons for these exemptions.

The PHAC data shows at least 30 per cent of international air travellers, unlike others, didn’t have to show proof of a pre-booked and fully paid stay at one of the approved hotels near the airports in the four cities in Canada allowed to accept international flights: Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary.

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Wednesday

Drive-in entertainment returning to Telus Spark this summer

Movie fans will be able to catch some of their favourite flicks from the comfort of their car as the BIG ART Drive-In Returns to Telus Spark this summer.

The venue will have more than just movies. The organizers are promising augmented films, live concerts, special events and community gatherings.

No movies or events have been announced yet. but organizers are looking for suggestions of what you’d like to see on the big screen.

More details can be found at http://bigartdrivein.com.