COVID-19 Live Updates: News on coronavirus in Calgary for April 8

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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.

1,429 new cases, three deaths

Alberta chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw will speak with reporters at 3:30 p.m.

• 1,429 new cases of COVID-19 on ~15,000 tests; 9.4% positivity rate
• 340 in hospital; 83 in ICUs
• Three additional deaths
• 717 additional variant cases identified; variants are about 45% of active cases
• Active alerts or outbreaks in 414 schools

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You can watch the full livestream below.

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Vaccine brings new hope to Calgary woman living with cystic fibrosis

A Calgary woman living with a serious lung condition said getting her first vaccine dose was like being released from prison, even though she knows she’s not fully protected just yet.

Nicki Perkins has already overcome the odds with cystic fibrosis (CF) by living to age 48 without a lung transplant.

“When I went to get the vaccine on Saturday, it felt like I was out of jail and I’m looking around the world going, ‘This is what the rest of the world does? This is so weird,’” said Perkins.

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As COVID-19 restrictions tighten, calls mount for more business supports

On the eve of a third round of bruising restrictions, Calgary pub owner Mike Shupenia spent Thursday wading through an alphabet soup of COVID-19 government aid that might help him hang on to staff — and his business.

“Should we tell our staff to serve, do they get a couple of more hours or do we lay everyone off for a third round? Are they going to be okay?” said Shupenia, who runs the Side Street Pub and Grill in Kensington.

“Our staff are our family.”

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Alberta search and rescue calls soar during pandemic

Record numbers of Albertans heading into the Rockies’ eastern slopes have search and rescue numbers spiking during the pandemic, say first responders.

Those pressures have forced taxpayers to ante up millions of dollars more to cover the costs of bringing people to safety, said the province.

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Seeking outdoor relief from COVID-19 restrictions during 2020 led to the busiest year on provincial Crown land with 5,394,168 visits to Kananaskis Country, a 24 per cent increase over 2019, say Alberta Parks and Environment.

That’s more visitors than Banff National Park hosted last year.

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More than 300 Calgary pharmacies offering COVID-19 vaccine

There are now 321 pharmacies offering the COVID-19 vaccine in Calgary. Appointments are still necessary and can be booked by contacting participating pharmacies by phone or online. Before booking, go to the Alberta government website to find out when you’re eligible for your free vaccination. More details on booking an appointment at a pharmacy can be found at Alberta Blue Cross.

Canada has triple the number of cases of the COVID-19 variant P.1 than the U.S.

It’s part of a worrisome trend that could see Canada surpass the U.S. in terms of the total number of daily COVID-19 cases relative to its population, with COVID-19 variants and a slow vaccine rollout playing a big role. The U.S. is adding roughly 196 COVID-19 cases per one million people daily, and Canada, as of April 6, was adding 180 cases per one million people daily. Canada could overtake the U.S. in the next few days, experts told the National Post.

From Ontario and Quebec to British Columbia and Alberta, fear of variants is growing, especially since they tend to be more easily transmissible and can hit younger, healthier people much harder than the original coronavirus.

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There are now more than 15,000 confirmed cases of variants in Canada, up from 9,000 on March 30. Cases of the P.1 variant in Canada are far outnumbered by the 14,790 cases of the B.1.1.7 variant first identified in the U.K. But P.1 is charging ahead quickly, particularly in British Columbia, and it’s causing concern.

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AHS to open immunization clinic at Cargill meat-processing plant

Canada’s first on-site workplace immunization clinic is opening at the Cargill meat-packing plant where over 2,000 workers will be offered jabs.

The High River facility was home to the country’s largest COVID-19 outbreak last spring where nearly 950 workers were infected, representing roughly half of the plant’s workforce. The site is facing another outbreak currently, according to the province.

Alberta Health Services (AHS) said plans are underway to establish the on-site immunization clinic, in collaboration with the Alberta International Medical Graduates Association and the Highland, Mosaic and Calgary rural primary care networks.

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Wednesday

Sixteen UCP MLAs say Kenney’s latest COVID-19 restrictions move Alberta ‘backwards’

Government caucus members are publicly criticizing Alberta Premier Jason Kenney for COVID-19 restrictions they say move the province backwards.

In a public letter published online Wednesday, 16 UCP MLAs representing mostly-rural ridings said closing dine-in service in restaurants and lowering capacity for retail stores and gyms is the “wrong decision,” even as COVID-19 variant cases surge.

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“We have heard from our constituents, and they want us to defend their livelihoods and freedoms as Albertans. For months, we have raised these concerns at the highest levels of government and unfortunately, the approach of the government has remained the same,” the letter said.

The letter is signed by Speaker of the House Nathan Cooper, former municipal affairs minister Tracy Allard, Michaela Glasgo, Miranda Rosin, Todd Loewen, Angela Pitt, Drew Barnes, Jason Stephan, Roger Reid, Nate Horner, Glenn van Dijken, Ron Orr, Dave Hanson, RJ Sigurdson, Mark Smith and Garth Roswell.

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Here is the letter, with the signatories:

Canada on track to surpass U.S. in number of COVID cases relative to population

In a reversal of earlier pandemic trends, Canada is on the verge of matching — perhaps surpassing — the United States in the number of COVID-19 cases relative to its population.

Updated data compiled from the Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dataset shows that the United States sits at roughly 196 COVID-19 cases per one million people, and Canada, as of Tuesday, was at 180 cases per one million people.

While this amounts to, in raw numbers, a difference of some 59 million cases, it’s a worrisome trend, experts say.

Anthony Dale, the president and CEO of the Ontario Hospital Association, said the United States has suffered “the biggest public health catastrophe in probably the modern Western world’s history.”

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Alberta reports 1,351 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday

Alberta reported 1,351 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday — the highest recorded in a single day since New Year’s Eve.

The new cases come the day after the province reimposed a number of restrictions.

Variant cases are driving the growth in active cases, as variant strains represent 43.2 per cent of Alberta’s 11,464 active cases with the addition of 575 variant cases detected Tuesday. The 1,351 new cases came from about 14,000 tests for a positivity rate of 9.6 per cent.

This is the highest number of new cases logged in a single day since Alberta reported 1,300 on Dec. 31. At that time there were about 14,000 active cases.

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Wednesday

1,351 new cases, one death

The latest COVID-19 numbers for Alberta:

• 1,351 new cases on 14,051 tests
• 333 in hospital; 79 in ICUs
• One additional death; 2,002 total
• 11,464 active cases; 142,010 recovered
• 575 new variant cases; variants are 43.2% of active cases

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There was no live update from chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw on Wednesday afternoon.

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Wednesday

Alberta doctors say latest restrictions aren’t enough, call for ‘immediate’ lockdown

Alberta physicians are calling on the province to enact an immediate lockdown to stave off rising COVID-19 cases instead of moving forward with “insufficient” restrictions coming into effect this week.

Premier Jason Kenney announced Tuesday the province would essentially walk back to Step 1 of the economic relaunch strategy as troubling variant cases and hospitalizations spike. The latest round of restrictions will shutter indoor dining, further limit capacity in retail stores and prohibit drop-in fitness, among other measures.

At best, the rollback will slow transmission of COVID-19 and its more contagious variants but it won’t bend or flatten the curve, warned Alberta doctors during a media conference on Wednesday.

“All levels of government need to take action to prevent a higher peak in this third wave. What we are recommending today is an immediate lockdown, or circuit breaker,” said Dr. Shazma Mithani, an ER physician in Edmonton.

“We are asking that people only leave their homes for essential services, they only have contact with members of their own household or their cohort.”

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Wednesday

Alberta’s women’s shelters facing staffing shortages amid the COVID-19 pandemic, survey shows

Alberta’s women’s shelters are facing staffing shortages amid the COVID-19 pandemic as employees in the female-dominated sector juggle their careers and personal caregiving responsibilities, shows a survey released Wednesday.

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Nearly all domestic violence shelter workers in Alberta are women, significantly higher than other female-majority industries such as health care, education and hospitality, according to the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters (ACWS) 2019-20 workforce survey. As a result, many shelters have faced staffing shortages as employees balance their professional and personal responsibilities.

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Wednesday

‘We don’t have the data to support it’: Alberta Hospitality Association disappointed with province reverting to Step 1

The Alberta Hospitality Association is disappointed the province is reverting back to Step 1 of its public health restriction framework, arguing the decision is politically motivated.

Premier Jason Kenney announced Tuesday that previous public health measures would be brought back in following a rise in COVID-19 cases and its variants. Returning to Step 1 means reducing capacity for retailers and malls to 15 per cent of fire code occupancy, limiting indoor fitness activities to one-on-one training and prohibiting adult performances such as dancing and singing.

In-dining services will be banned at restaurants as of Friday at noon, although outdoor patios will be allowed.

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Wednesday

GraceLife Church shut down, fenced off for ignoring COVID-19 health restrictions

Layers of metal fencing were erected around the perimeter of GraceLife Church in Parkland County Wednesday as Alberta Health Services (AHS) shuttered the building after months of defiance of provincial public health orders.

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Residents who live in the area said they saw about a dozen RCMP vehicles arrive at the church west of Edmonton in a “convoy” around 6 a.m. RCMP said officers were on site to assist AHS with the closure. A private security company was also on the property.

By 8 a.m., a layer of fencing adorned with black cloth had been placed around the perimeter of the building. By noon, the driveway into the church and the parking lot had also been blocked by a fencing company.

Close to 50 people showed up to support the church throughout the morning while several others drove by shouting support for the RCMP and the closure of the building.

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