Everything you need to know about COVID-19 in Alberta on Wednesday, March 24

The latest COVID-19 numbers:

• On Tuesday, Alberta reported 692 new cases of COVID-19,and a record 202 new cases linked to highly contagious variants of the coronavirus.
• Tuesday's tally brings the number of activecases in the province to 6,534.
• Active cases of COVID-19 in Alberta have increased by more than 1,400 over the past eight days.
• To date, 135,040Albertans have recovered from COVID-19.
• 2,110cases involving variants of concern have been identified, with1,269active. Variantsnowaccountfor 19.4per cent of all active cases of COVID-19 in Alberta.
• Of those cases of variants of concern,822people have recovered while 19have died.

• The Alberta government reported Tuesday that285peopleare being treated in hospital for COVID-19,53in intensive care beds and that twomore people have died.
• Hospitals in Alberta are preparing for a third wave of the pandemic, driven by the more aggressive variants of the coronavirus.
• Dr. Darren Markland,an intensive care physician and nephrologistat the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton,wrote in atweeton Tuesdaythat they have reopened the COVID-19 wards at their hospital.
• Almost all variant cases arethe strain first identified in the U.K. (B117) and 19are the strain first identified in South Africa.
• Alberta reported On Monday two new cases of the variant strain first identified in Brazil, known as P.1. There are now four cases of thatstrain.
• 12,835coronavirustests were completed Tuesday with a positivity rate of about 6.6per cent.

The latest on reopening and restrictions:

• The Alberta government will notmoveinto the next phase of reopening, Step 3. Health Minister Tyler Shandro said on Monday that no restrictions will be eased at this time because hospitalizations areon the rise.

• According to the provincial plan, to move to Step 3 there must be fewer than 300 people in hospital, and thattotal must be dropping. On March 3, there were 252Albertans in hospital with COVID-19 onMonday that number had grown to280 and on Tuesday to 290.
• The growthis a "warning sign" the province has to take seriously, Shandro said.
• Under the current restrictions,all indoor social gatheringsare limited to household members only.
• People who live alone can have up to two close contacts:
  • These must be the same two contacts throughout the duration of the restriction.
  • If the close contacts do not live alone, visits cannot be held at their home.
  • Single parents who only live with their children under 18are permitted to have up to twoclose contacts.
• Outdoor social gatherings can have up to 10 people, but must follow all public health rules about masks andphysical distancing. The rules areenforceable with $1,000 fines.
• Retailstores and malls can have theircapacity to 25 per cent of fire code occupancy, and youth sports teams and activities are allowed to resume with up to 10 participants. Masks and physical distancing arestill required.
• Restrictions alsoeased for child, youth and adult performances, includingsinging, theatre and playing wind instruments, though participants must follow the same restrictions as for youth sports.
• Banquet halls, community hall and hotels canhost permitted performance activities, wedding ceremonies with up to 10 people, and funeral services with up to 20.
• Rules for indoor fitness still require that gym visits must be scheduled or by appointment no drop-insallowed.
  • Low-intensity individual and group exercises areallowed without a trainer. Public health rules must be followed, including wearing masks and physical distancing.
  • High-intensity activities without a mask are allowed only forone-on-one workouts with a trainer. Trainers must still be masked.
  • No sports games, competitions, team practice or league play is allowed.

Alberta is putting off Step 3 of reopening

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Health Minister Tyler Shandro said the province would not be easing restrictions Monday. While hospitalizations still number under 300 in Alberta, officials say that number could rise in the coming weeks.

The latest on the Pfizer-BioNTechandModernavaccines:

• 512,248doses of vaccines have been administered and93,910Albertans have been fully vaccinated as of March 23.
• The Alberta government reported reachinga COVID-19 milestone on Wednesday, with more than half a million doses of vaccine administered in the province.
• Nearly one in 10 Albertans have received at least one dose to protectagainst COVID-19, Health Minister Tyler Shandro said in a release on Wednesday.
• "We are all tired of the 'new normal.'Fortunately, with every single vaccine administered we are getting closer and closer to returning to normal," Shandro said. "If supply keeps up, every adult Albertan will be offered a vaccination by the end of June."
• Albertais reporting 9,787 new vaccinations administered on Tuesday.
• The provincetold CBC News that 94,400 doses of theModernavaccine expectedto arrive Wednesdayhave beendelayed. They now expect to receive only28,500 doses this week, and 65,900 doses on or around March 30.
• The delay has impacted shipments to pharmacies and vaccine appointments. The province says any pharmacy whichhas had to adjust appointmentswill reach out topatients directly.
• Alberta opened up appointments for the Pfizer-BioNTechandModernavaccinesto everyone eligible in Phase 2A on March 19 after starting the rollout on March 15. This means the following can book appointments:
  • Anyone born in 1956 or earlier.
  • First Nations, Mtis and Inuit people born in 1971 or earlier. (Those living on-reserve or on-settlement should book through a local clinic.)
• Staff and residents of licensed seniors supportive living facilitiesnot included in Phase 1.(Theywill receive a direct email from AHS with a unique link to go online and book their immunization appointments.)
• How to bookif you're eligible:
  • Participating pharmacies:Now booking all eligible ages, no matter the birth year.
  • Alberta Health Services (online or 811)
  • First Nations, Mtis and Inuit people born in 1971 or earlier who are living on reserve or on settlementshould book through a local clinic.
• The rate of vaccination is11,024.5doses per 100,000 population.
• Vaccinations for those75 and older(born in 1946 or earlier) arestill available at thosepharmaciesas well as atimmunizationsites operated byAHSacross the province.

• The Alberta government laid out its plan on March 15forPhase 2Bof the vaccine rollout, which will be for people born 2005 to 1957 (ages 16 to 64) with certain high-riskunderlying health issueslikechronic conditions affecting certain organsand those suffering from cancer. For the full list of health conditions see here.It's expected that the timeline will be between April and June, but it will dependon supply.
• The governmentsaysPhase 2C of the rolloutwill include health-care professionals such as physicians, nurses, pharmacists, dentists andsupport staff. As well, designated support persons for those living in continuing care will also become eligible in the stage.
• Ifshipments arriveas scheduled, the province saysall adults in the provincewill receive their first dose by the end of June.
• More than 250 pharmacies across the province arealso able to administer theCOVID-19 vaccines.

The latest onAstraZeneca-Oxford/Covishieldvaccine:

• As of March 10, Alberta began offering theAstraZeneca-Oxford/Covishieldvaccine as an option foradults who do not have a severe chronic illness in a staggered rollout toAlbertans born 1957 to 1971 and First Nations, Mtis and Inuit (FNMI) persons born 1972 to 1976.
• However, not everyone in those age ranges wasimmediately eligible: the province staggered the rollout starting with the oldest and expanding it a birth year or two at a timedepending on vaccine supply.
• The province received only 58,500 doses ofAstraZeneca-Oxford/Covishieldin its first shipment of thevaccine. Asof Sunday afternoon,Hinshawsaidmore than 92 per cent of the province's current supply of AstraZeneca-Oxfordand Covishield vaccine doses had been booked.
• Given the dwindling supply, the province shut down online bookings, with limited appointments available only by calling Health Link at 811.
• The government says more appointments and birth years will be added as moreAstraZeneca supply becomes available.
• The U.S. has announced plans to send 1.5 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to Canada, which could arrive by the end of the month. Plans are still being worked out.
• Healthy Albertans in those age ranges can also choose to wait until Phase 2D begins in May to receive the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine if they don't want theAstraZeneca vaccine. However, AHS stressed thatAstraZenecahas beenproven to be highly effective in preventing serious illness and death in adults 18 to 64.

The latest on COVID-19rapid testing:

• Another two million free rapid testing kits are now being offered to public, private and not-for-profit employers and service providers, the Alberta government said Tuesday
• The announcement follows the earlierrollout of more than 1.2 million kits to long-term care facilities, schools, outbreak sites, hospitals, homeless shelters and industries across the province.
• Any employer or service provider can apply for the free test kits, the news release said.
• A COVID-19 rapid testing pilot project toscreen students and staff without symptoms is beginning at two northeastCalgary schools:
  • Testing began March 18at Rundle School for Grades K-6.
  • Testing began March 22 atSt. John XXIII School for Grades K-9.
• Canadian energy giant Suncor will focus its COVID-19 rapid-testing efforts on hundreds of fly-in, fly-out workers that will be conducting planned maintenance in northern Alberta over the coming spring and summer.

See which regions are being hit hardest:

Here is thedetailed regional breakdownof active cases as reported Wednesday by the province:

• Calgary zone:2,910, up from 2,724 (51,713 recovered).
• Edmonton zone: 1,455, up from 1,378 (53,574 recovered).
• North zone: 788, down from 789 (12,459 recovered).
• South zone: 784, up from800 (6,765 recovered).
• Central zone:581,upfrom 578 (10,416 recovered).
• Unknown: 16,down up 11 (113recovered).

Find out which neighbourhoods or communities have the most cases, how hard people of different ages have been hit, the ages of people in hospital, how Alberta compares to other provinces and more in: Here are the latest COVID-19 statistics for Alberta and what they mean

You can see active cases by local health area on the following interactive map. Scroll, zoom and click on the map for more information.

Here are the latest Alberta COVID-19 stories:

• For the latest on what's happening in the rest of Canada and around the world, seehere.