Everything you need to know about COVID-19 in Alberta on Friday, Oct. 22

The latest on COVID-19in Alberta:

• Alberta reported656new cases of COVID-19 on Friday out of 10,732tests.
• The positivity rate was 6.5per cent.
• The total number of active cases in Alberta is 10,037.
• A total of 3,026Albertans have died of COVID, with 12new deaths reported Friday.
• Alberta has seen a drop in known active COVID-19 cases sincethe start of October, when there were20,215. Butfederal data showsAlberta still leads the country by a large margin.
• Alberta is reporting an R-value below 1. The R-value is the average number of COVID-19 infections transmitted by each diagnosed case.
• An R-value below 1 means transmission is nolonger growing. Provincewide, the R-value for Oct. 11 to Oct. 17 was 0.85, with a confidence interval between 0.83and 0.88.
• 306,113Albertansare considered to have recovered from COVID-19.
• The province reported Fridaythere are889patients in hospitaland 191in intensive care.
• Purple Perk, a Calgary Cafe, has had its food handling permit suspended for non-compliance with COVID-19 orders. The suspension will be reviewed on Nov. 2.
• Hinshaw tweeted Thursday that from June 1 to Oct. 20, 87 per cent of ICU patientswere unvaccinated.
• Premier Jason Kenney saidKenney said Tuesday that75 per cent of intensive care beds in the province were occupied by people infected with COVID-19, which is down from 97 per cent reported just over six weeks ago. But he added, "There are still more COVID patients in hospital today than during the peak of any other wave. It'll take many weeks for this to decline significantly."
• With pressure easing slightly on ICUs,AHS isreducingavailable surge beds toredeploy staff back to caring for non-COVID patients who need surgeries and procedures completed, an AHS spokes person said Thursday.
• AHS said they willmaintainICUcapacity above daily demand to a planned maximum of 380 beds as long as staff and physician availability allows, and will readjust plans as needed if COVID cases rise again.
• In the province there are currently350 general adultICUbeds open in Alberta, including 177 additional spaces (more than twice our baseline 173 general adultICUbeds). This is 26 fewer surgeICUspaces than the peak of 376.
• Doctors are resuming some surgeries after bookings had been scaled back by 75 per cent. But there is no timeline on when the province will be able to return to normal surgical volumes.
• The Alberta government has released an app to scan and verify QR code vaccine records. The AB COVID Records Verifier app is available to download on Apple and Android devices.
• Albertans can get their enhanced vaccine records with aQR code online atalberta.ca/CovidRecords.
• Alberta Health Services saysthatits scientific advisory group hasupdated its review into using ivermectin to treat COVID-19. AHSsaidexisting studies have problems and the available evidencedoesn't deem it safe.
• On Oct.14 , Dr. DeenaHinshaw, chief medical officer of health, said Alberta hospitals have seen people with extreme adverse effects after taking ivermectin.

The latest on Alberta's COVID-19 response:

• Starting Oct. 25, Albertansaged 12 and older willneed to provide proof of full vaccination twoCOVID-19 vaccine doses to access restaurants, movies, sporting events and other businesses provincewideoperating under the province's Restrictions Exemption Program.
• People who are not fully vaccinated can still opt toprovide a privately-paid negative COVID-19 test from within the previous 72 hours or valid proof of a medical exemption.
• Kenney'sgovernment imposedthevoluntary vaccine passport system that took effect Sept. 20tocombat the fourth wave of COVID-19.
• Operators who are eligible for the program,but opt not to take part, will have to follow measures that include capacity limits and physical distancing.
• A full list of restrictions and exemptions is available on the government's website.
• On Sept. 22,Calgary city council approved a bylawthatbrings in consistent application of the province's vaccine passport program for many types of businesses in the city.

• AHS is extending the deadline for employees, medical and midwifery staff, students, volunteers and contracted healthcare providers to comply with its mandatory immunization policy until Nov. 30.
• "We stand by the mandatory immunization policy and it will be fully implemented," said AHS President and CEO, Dr. Verna Yiuin a release Friday. "We are extending the deadline to give all employees more time to submit their proof of vaccination and, if they haven't yet, to get fully vaccinated. We're providing more time so our workforce is as safe and robust as it can be."
• About 92 per cent of all staff at Alberta Health Services have submitted proof they have had two doses of COVID-19 vaccinations as required under a policy introduced in August,Yiu told a news conference on Oct. 19.
• Seven per cent of staff have yet to submit proof of vaccination, while less than one per cent about 1,200 staffers have requested accommodation on medical or religious grounds.
• Yiu said 61 employees have resigned their positions specifically because of the vaccination policy. That includes 31 staffers in clinical roles; 11 of them are registered nurses.

WATCH | AHS CEO says vast majority of AHS workers are fully vaccinated:

AHS CEO breaks down staff vaccination rates

3 years ago

Duration 2:47

Dr. Verna Yiu, president and CEO of Alberta Health Services, says 92 per cent of AHS employees are fully vaccinated and doesnt believe the vaccination policy will have a significant impact on the ability to provide health care.

• Hinshawannounced new measures for continuing care facilities that start Oct. 25. All visitors will be required to wear a mask in all indoor areas of the building, including in residents' rooms. All residents must also quarantine after returning from a hospital stay of 24 hours or more until they get a negative COVID-19 test result.
• The City of Calgary is opening applications for a new grant program for local business operators, owners and entities that are impacted by the Provincial Restrictions Exemption Program.The Calgary Business Support Grant will give$2,000 per physical permanent premise.
• The City of Calgary will require all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide proof of vaccination by Nov. 1.
• This applies to allCity of Calgary employees, regardless of workplace or worksite location, including those who are remote working or have a telework agreement in place.
• The province announced new measures to protect children and youth from COVID-19 on Oct. 5. Contact tracing in schools will be phased in, outbreaks will be declared in schools, and rapid-test kits will be made available for parents to test younger children.
• Politicians and staff at the Alberta Legislature will all be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by the time the sitting resumes on Oct. 25, government House leader Jason Nixon said Tuesday.
• Albertapublic sector workers will soon be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination.
• The policy, approved by the province's COVID-19 cabinet committeewill affect25,500 provincialemployees who must all submit proof of full vaccination by Nov. 30.

WATCH| Premier Jason Kenney announces launch of vaccination proof scanner:

Proof of vaccination scanner launches in Alberta

3 years ago

Duration 1:47

Premier Jason Kenney announced that after Nov. 15, the scannable QR code will become the only acceptable record of vaccination. Health minister Jason Copping encouraged everyone to get their QR code vaccination record.

The latest on vaccines:

• 66.6per cent of the province's total population have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, or 78.3per cent of eligible Albertans.
• Out of the province's total population, 73.4per cent have received at least one dose, or 86.3per cent of those eligible.
• Hinshaw said on Thursday that in the past few weeks,more than 231,000 third-dosevaccine shots have been administered.
• Canada-wide,77.5per cent of the total population havereceived at least one dose of vaccine, and 72.8per centof the total population are fully vaccinated,according to the CBC'svaccinetracker.Among those eligible, 88.5per cent have had one dose and 83.1per cent are fully vaccinated.
• Alberta hasexpandedthe number of immunocompromised people who are eligible for a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The full list of eligible people can be found on the province's website.
• In addition, mRNA doses that's Pfizer or Moderna areavailable to Albertans travelling to a jurisdiction that does not accept visitors vaccinated withmixed doses.
• Hinshawsayspregnant people are at high risk of very serious illness and are urging them to get their COVID-19 vaccinations.

See which regions are being hit hardest:

Here is thelatest detailed regional breakdownof active cases, as reported by the province on Friday:

• Edmonton zone:2,355.
• Calgary zone:2,554.
• North zone:2,112
• Central zone:1,940.
• South zone: 1,066.
• Unknown: 10.

Here are the latest Alberta COVID-19 stories: