COVID-19 Update: Alberta reports 250 new cases, Omicron count now at 50 | Kenney press conference postponed | Premiers to discuss Omicron

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Watch this page throughout the day for updates on COVID-19 in Calgary

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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.

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Alberta’s regularly scheduled Tuesday COVID-19 update was postponed as Premier Jason Kenney attended a phone call with the prime minister.

The update was originally scheduled to be held at 3:30 p.m. with Kenney being joined by Health Minister Jason Copping and chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw. It was first pushed back to 5 p.m. and then postponed with no new date or time given.

Kenney’s executive director of communications Brock Harrison stated on Twitter that the meeting was postponed due to a call with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other premiers from across Canada. It is widely believed that the call was being held to discuss the spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant and could include travel restrictions ahead of the holidays.

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Alberta reports 250 new COVID-19 cases, Omicron case count now at 50 in Alberta

Here are  updated COVID-19 numbers  released by Alberta Health Services this afternoon.

Article content Trudeau says premiers will meet to discuss Omicron Article content

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the provincial and territorial premiers will be meeting to discuss Omicron “as soon as possible.”

The new variant is showing signs of being very contagious. Yesterday the province reported 21 cases of Omicron in the Calgary Zone.

Premier Jason Kenney’s director of communication indicated in a tweet this meeting will happen around supper time here in Alberta.

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Premier Jason Kenney and Health Minister Jason Copping were set to deliver a provincial press conference today, but that has now been put on hold.

The meeting had been previously scheduled for 3:30 p.m., and then 5 p.m. The premier’s director of communications said in a tweet the provincial press conference will likely happen tomorrow.

Alberta chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw was also set to join Kenney and Copping.

Last week the premier spoke about the possible relaxation of gathering restrictions in the lead-up to the holidays. While details on that relaxation were expected today, the fast-spreading omicron variant may change those plans.

Norway introduces booze ban to slow oncoming Omicron wave

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Norway’s government unveiled a return to tough containment measures as it grapples with record hospitalizations from a coronavirus outbreak that’s set to intensify.

A recent wave of infections of the delta variant is filling up hospitals, and an out-of-control spread of the omicron strain threatens to overwhelm the health system, prompting the government to unveil a swathe of containment measures.

Norway will stop the sale of alcohol in restaurants and bars, bring back limits on schools and require people to work from home, the government said late on Monday. It will mandate face masks at indoor events, close amusement parks and expand quarantine rules to all suspected virus variants. Adults are advised to cancel sport and leisure activities, and limit social interaction to ease pressure on the health system.

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What is known about Omicron based on early data in South Africa

As each day passes, panic seems to be spreading about what the Omicron variant is going to mean. The head of Ontario’s COVID-19 Science Advisory table has cautioned against “wishful thinking” that Omicron truly causes milder illness, Atlantic Canada has tightened restrictions to stop the variant’s spread and modellers in B.C. are predicting Omicron could cause the highest infection rates the province has seen by early January.

But the first preliminary, real-word study out of South Africa offers optimism, mixed with prudent caution — yes, Omicron is highly contagious, but South Africa is seeing a flatter trajectory of hospital admissions compared to previous waves, “indicating likely lower severity,” investigators said Tuesday.

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The insights are preliminary, based only on the first three weeks of the Omicron-driven wave in South Africa, and may change as the wave progresses, they stressed. But here is what they are reporting:

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Three more Flames players enter NHL’s COVID protocol

After another batch of test results, three more Calgary Flames players have entered the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol.

Forwards Milan Lucic and Sean Monahan and defenceman Noah Hanifin were added Tuesday to the list, bringing the total number of positives to 10 — nine skaters and a member of the training staff.

The NHL announced Monday that three games would be postponed due to the outbreak and that the Flames’ training facilities would be closed until further notice. The team is currently scheduled to return to action Saturday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

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Of the players who dressed against the Boston Bruins last Saturday, the black and white photos indicate those who are on the COVID protocol list:

Pfizer says COVID-19 pill near 90 per cent effective in final analysis

Pfizer Inc on Tuesday said final analysis of its antiviral COVID-19 pill still showed near 90% efficacy in preventing hospitalizations and deaths in high-risk patients, and recent lab data suggests the drug retains its effectiveness against the fast spreading Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

The U.S. drugmaker last month said the oral medicine was around 89% effective in preventing hospitalizations or deaths when compared to placebo, based on interim results in around 1,200 people. The data disclosed on Tuesday includes an additional 1,000 people.

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Nobody in the trial who received the Pfizer treatment died, compared with 12 deaths among placebo recipients.

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Omicron spread across Ontario takes experts by surprise with cases doubling every three days

The Omicron variant does not so much announce its presence as it smashes the door down.

That is the case in Ontario right now as communities, including Ottawa, cope with the sudden impact of spiking cases and community spread of Omicron.

Just weeks after it was first identified in South Africa, the highly contagious variant of SARS-CoV-2 is spreading through the province with such speed that it has taken experts by surprise.

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Omicron could spike infections to highest numbers B.C. has seen

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COVID-19’s Omicron variant is so transmissible, by early January, it could replicate to the highest infection rates British Columbia has seen during the pandemic, according to modelling experts.

B.C. had only identified 10 Omicron cases as of Friday, but a “skyrocketing rate of increase” in Ontario, the United Kingdom, Denmark and other European countries “does not portend well,” said UBC modelling expert Sarah Otto, just as socialization-starved British Columbians contemplate holiday gatherings.

In the U.K., the country recorded its first death from the variant Monday and Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised booster vaccines to everyone over 18 by the end of December in the face of a “tidal wave of Omicron coming.”

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Monday Alberta reports 863 new cases over three days; Omicron count rises to 30

Here are  updated COVID-19 numbers  released by Alberta Health Services this afternoon.

Article content Monday COVID-19 on track to be among Alberta’s leading causes of death in 2021

For a second consecutive year, COVID-19 is on pace to be a leading cause of death for Albertans.

The province has recorded 2,061 deaths in 2021 where COVID-19 was a contributing factor through Dec. 12, meaning the novel coronavirus would rank second on Alberta’s most recent list of leading causes of death.

Finalized data on leading causes of death for 2021 is not expected to be available until the latter half of next year. But when compared to the 2020 list, the number of COVID-19 deaths to date in 2021 trails only dementia, which killed 2,081 Albertans that year. Alberta’s COVID-19 death toll in 2021 now exceeds the number of Albertans killed by heart disease, lung cancer, COPD or heart attacks in 2020.

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Monday Gondek says free COVID tests for unvaccinated workers sends the wrong message

Mayor Jyoti Gondek says a Calgary Police Service decision to apply for more rapid COVID tests for unvaccinated employees amounts to “sides being chosen” and it undermines the city’s stance about the importance of vaccination.

Responding to Calgary Police Chief Mark Neufeld’s recent explanation of the move to Postmedia, Gondek said she’s focusing on advocating for vaccination as the way out of the pandemic.

“If you are telling people that they don’t have to be vaccinated by providing them with free testing kits, you are sending the message that vaccination is not important to you,” she said.

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Monday CBE discourages kids from discussing vaccination status with each other

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The Calgary Board of Education is defending a message to parents urging them to discourage their children from discussing fellow students’ COVID-19 vaccination status while at school.

On Friday, administrators at Sam Livingston school (a Kindergarten to Grade 4 school) sent an email to parents asking them to urge their children to refrain from comparing notes about immunization, which they say can lead to intolerance.

“In line with the CBE’s mandate of providing and ensuring safe and caring school environments we are asking that you speak directly to your children about stopping conversations about who has and who has not (or is not going to) gotten the COVID-19 vaccine,” stated the letter, which was also posted on the school’s website.

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Monday Travelling Albertans can now access COVID-19 records from outside country Article content Monday Tam admits Canada wasn’t ready for COVID, needs an overhaul for next pandemic

Chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, is admitting the public health system wasn’t prepared for COVID and is proposing a new course to ensure Canada will be ready for the next pandemic.

Tam released her annual report on the state of the public health agency on Monday. It calls for significant improvements to data collection, consistent funding for public health and efforts to recruit more workers in public health.

“Our public health system has been stretched dangerously thin and this is in need of critical reinforcements,” she said.

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Monday Flames games postponed as six players enter NHL’s COVID-19 protocol

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The Calgary Flames were supposed to be on the road again this week but their travel plans changed — and three games have been postponed — with news that six players and one staffer are now in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol.

The Flames were slated to face the Blackhawks in Chicago on Monday and then battle the Predators in Nashville the next night. They didn’t fly Sunday to the Windy City — as was originally planned — and won’t be back on the ice until at least Friday, and that could be a moving target.

The team announced that forwards Elias Lindholm, Andrew Mangiapane, Brad Richardson and Adam Ruzicka, defencemen Chris Tanev and Nikita Zadorov and a member of the training staff are in COVID-19 protocol and the NHL cited “concern with continued spread, and the likelihood of additional positive cases in the coming days” in a release regarding the postponements.

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Monday Government open to amending paid sick leave bill it wants passed by week’s end

OTTAWA — Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan says the government is open to amending legislation that would provide 10 days of paid sick leave for federally regulated workers.

O’Regan acknowledges that at least two provisions in Bill C-3 could undermine the objective, which is to ensure ill workers don’t have to choose between going to work sick or staying home without pay.

The bill would allow employers to require a doctor’s note verifying that an employee is ill.

Senators on a committee doing a pre-study of the bill say that makes no sense on a number of fronts — including the fact that a person with COVID-19 symptoms is not even allowed to enter a doctor’s office these days — and would inhibit workers from taking sick leave.

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Monday Red Deer hospital surgical patients transferred

A Red Deer hospital transferred 14 surgical patients to Edmonton and Calgary over the weekend to free up space in urgent care and to reduce patient wait times, according to Alberta Health Services (AHS).

AHS spokesman Kerry Williamson said no more patients were transferred as of 8 a.m. Monday. Emergency care wasn’t impacted, he said, and the volume of surgical patients has returned to manageable levels.

“(Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre) has been experiencing higher than normal number of patients needing surgery, which has been compounded by ongoing vacancies in OR staffing that have impacted the number of procedures able to be performed in Red Deer,” he said in an email statement.

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“The site is working to perform additional surgeries this week with all available staffing supports, as well as increasing OR time at other sites in the Central Zone such as Olds Hospital and Care Centre.”

AHS is still working to return surgical capacity to pre-pandemic levels and is actively recruiting surgical staff and training existing employees in-house, according to Williamson.

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Monday NFL mandates booster, establishes one-day record 37 with positives

The NFL is requiring players and other key personnel to receive a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as part of the league mandate to be fully vaccinated, according to a league memo.

Multiple outlets released the contents of the memo, which coincided with a noticeable uptick in reported positive tests around the league.

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“On November 29, the CDC issued a study showing that the effectiveness of the approved COVID-19 vaccines may decrease over time and has recommended that all eligible vaccinated individuals over the age of 18 should receive a booster shot,” the memo reads in part. “Given the increased prevalence of the virus in our communities, our experts have recommended that we implement the CDC’s recommendation.”

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Monday Some universities postpone in-person exams after rise in COVID-19 cases

Some universities are adjusting their plans for end-of-semester exams in response to the rise in COVID-19 cases.

The University of Victoria in British Columbia says that starting Monday, it will not be holding any further in-person exams this month.

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Queen’s University in eastern Ontario university has also postponed in-person exams due to rising COVID-19 case counts in the community.

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Monday Manitoba reports 152 new COVID-19 cases as some doctors warn of ICU crunch

The Manitoba government is reporting 152 new COVID-19 cases as some doctors are calling for military help in intensive care units.

The province says 142 people are in hospital with COVID-19, 34 of whom are in intensive care.

A group of 10 physicians, including doctors in critical care and rheumatology, have written to the province to ask that military health professionals be called in.

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Monday Britain records world’s first publicly confirmed Omicron death; variant now in 60 nations

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At least one person has died in the United Kingdom after contracting the Omicron coronavirus variant, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday, the first publicly confirmed death globally from the swiftly spreading strain.

Since the first Omicron cases were detected on Nov. 27 in the United Kingdom, Johnson has imposed tougher restrictions and on Sunday cautioned that the variant could overcome the immune defenses of those inoculated with two shots of vaccines.

“Sadly at least one patient has now been confirmed to have died with Omicron,” Johnson told reporters at a vaccination center in London.

The variant now accounted for around 40% of infections in the capital, he said.

“So I think the idea that this is somehow a milder version of the virus – I think that’s something we need to set on one side – and just recognize the sheer pace at which it accelerates through the population.”

Johnson said people should rush to get booster vaccines to protect “our freedoms and our way of life.”

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Monday Canada has vaccinated more than 725,000 kids under 12 so far. Will it be enough to stop another COVID wave?

More than 725,000 five- to 11-year-olds across Canada have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, with tens of thousands more appointments booked, a heartening start, say those leading vaccination efforts, just two weeks into the rollout of shots for some of the country’s youngest kids.

The enthusiasm varies across the provinces, the differences following some of the same patterns initially seen with adults, with 34 per cent of eligible children vaccinated in Quebec as of Thursday, versus 19 per cent in Alberta.

It’s also too soon to know whether demand will hold and reach or exceed the “aspirational” goals of some provinces of having at least half of eligible children vaccinated by the new year.

In the U.S., daily doses of Pfizer’s shots given to five- to 11-year-olds have slowed after a first short burst of high demand, “a drop that preceded the Thanksgiving holiday and has continued since,”  the Kaiser Family Foundation reported this week,  suggesting eager parents have already come forward. As of Dec. 5, nearly 4.8 million of the 28 million eligible kids in the U.S. had received at least one dose of the two-dose Pfizer regimen. Fewer than half of American children are expected to be fully vaccinated in the coming months,  Reuters reported Friday .

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