COVID-19 Update: NHL shuts down early for Christmas break | 1,925 new cases reported, Omicron count hits 1,045 | Millions more rapid test kits to be a

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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.

Article content What’s happening now More than 300 Calgary pharmacies now offering rapid test kits

There are now 322 pharmacies throughout the city offering rapid antigen testing kits for at-home use, according to Alberta Health. The kits are free of charge and can detect pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic cases — people who don’t know they’re infected with COVID-19. While supplies last, there is a limit of one kit per person, or health care number, within a 14-day period.

Article content NHL shuts down early for Christmas break due to COVID outbreaks among multiple teams

Christmas will come early for NHL teams, but not in a positive way.

The league was due to have no games from Friday through Sunday for a holiday break, but all games scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday will be postponed and team facilities will be closed those days, too, due to COVID-19 outbreaks among multiple teams, the NHL and the National Hockey League Players’ Association announced Monday night.

The last three games to be played ahead of the reported early shutdown were the Minnesota Wild at the Dallas Stars on Monday night and two games Tuesday: Washington Capitals at Philadelphia Flyers and Tampa Bay Lightning at Vegas Golden Knights.

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The league already had officially postponed 44 games due to COVID issues.

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Alberta reports 1,925 new cases over the weekend

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

Article content Alberta reports a surge in Omicron variant cases over the last three days, six additional COVID-19 deaths

The number of Omicron variant cases identified in Alberta jumped from nearly 200 to more than 1,000 over the last three days, as the province reported 1,925 new cases of COVID-19.

With another 872 cases of the Omicron variant detected in the province since Alberta Health last updated the data on Friday, the total now sits at 1,045. Cases of the Omicron variant have been identified in all five of the Alberta Health Services zones, however, nearly 60 per cent of the cases are located in the Calgary zone — where COVID-19 is currently spreading most widely.

The Omicron variant was labelled a variant of concern by the World Health Organization in November because of its high number of mutations that early evidence suggested made it more contagious than the dominant Delta strain.

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Scramble for COVID-19 rapid test kits continues as province vows millions more soon available

Calgarians continued to scour the city Monday in a hit-and-miss bid to secure COVID-19 rapid test kits.

But Alberta Health officials said millions more of the devices that are in massive demand — largely for upcoming Christmas gatherings — are on the way in the next 10 days.

“We have two million more tests on hand that will be distributed in the coming days and another one million additional tests (200,000 kits) with confirmed shipping dates later this month,” Alberta Health spokesman Michael Francoeur said in an email.

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COVID-19 restrictions in Alberta: Here’s what you can do over the holidays

As provinces across the country tighten restrictions on gatherings and limit capacity in stores, bars, and sporting events ahead of the holidays, the Alberta government adjusted the province’s public health measures to allow for less stringent gatherings.

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On Dec. 15, Premier Jason Kenney  announced  more than two families are able to gather over the holidays and there are no longer additional gathering restrictions on those unvaccinated against COVID-19.

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Foreign Affairs Minister Joly tests positive for COVID-19

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly has tested positive for COVID-19 after taking a rapid test.

Joly disclosed the result Monday on Twitter, saying she was in isolation awaiting the result of a PCR test.

Joly did not say where or how she contracted COVID-19, or provide any details about the state of her health.

“She is waiting for confirmation through the PCR test result. Everyone who needed … has been notified of the result of the rapid test,” said Joly’s spokeswoman Maeva Proteau.

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New COVID-19 restrictions in effect for parts of Canada; some productions cancelled

Tougher public health restrictions come into effect Monday in many parts of Canada as some regions are dealing with concerning COVID-19 case counts and rising hospitalizations.

In Quebec, the province announced 4,571 COVID-19 infections — a new single day record.

Bars, restaurants, retail stores, places of worship and entertainment activities in the province must now operate at half capacity, while all sports tournaments and competitions are suspended until further notice.

New capacity restrictions are also in place in British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador to help curb the spread of COVID-19 and the Omicron variant.

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Flames reopen facility after third consecutive day with no further positive COVID cases

After three straight days without any additional positives, the Calgary Flames have reopened their training facilities at the Saddledome.

Most of their players remain in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol but those who did not test positive were allowed to return Monday to the rink and weight-room. That includes forwards Matthew Tkachuk and Blake Coleman, defenceman Michael Stone and goaltender Daniel Vladar.

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Also see: Other teams join idle Flames as NHL halts cross-border games

Omicron concerns trigger event cancellations in Calgary; U of C nixes in-person exams

Rising COVID-19 cases and concerns over the Omicron variant’s increasing presence in Alberta have prompted event cancellations across Calgary.

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Last week, the number of active cases rose in Alberta from 4,016 to 4,431 with three straight days of increases from Wednesday through Friday. By Friday, the province had 173 known cases of the Omicron variant, up from 30 at the beginning of the week.

Citing the uncertainty of Omicron’s impact, the University of Calgary has cancelled the remainder of its in-person exams for the fall semester, moving some online. Block week classes from Jan. 3 to 7 are also set to take place virtually.

“These actions reduce in-person activity and allow us time to gather information about the Omicron variant — its transmissibility, its severity, its effects on various populations and the effectiveness of vaccines — that will allow better decision-making about the start of the winter semester,” said Ed McCauley, the U of C’s president and vice-chancellor in an email to the school community.

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Plans for concerts, sporting events, fundraisers, and other large functions in Calgary have also been turfed.

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Quebec brings back tough health measures as COVID-19 case numbers soar

Amid rapidly growing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, Quebec announced Monday it is bringing back tough new restrictions in an effort to stop the spread.

Quebec Health Minister Christian Dube called the situation “critical” as he announced that bars, movie theatres and entertainment venues will close as of 5 p.m. today, while restaurants will operate at reduced capacity and have to close at 10 p.m.

“With the increase of cases and hospitalizations, we must put in place new measures,” Dube told a virtual news conference.

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British Columbia’s new COVID-19 restrictions to curb Omicron variant come into effect

New COVID-19 restrictions ranging from audience capacities on large venues to the number of people able to attend indoor gatherings are in effect today.

Health officials say the restrictions, which also include the cancellation of all New Year’s Eve parties, are being implemented over fears of the Omicron variant overwhelming B.C. hospitals.

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Moderna says booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine appears protective vs. Omicron

Moderna Inc said on Monday that a booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine appeared to be protective against the fast-spreading Omicron variant in laboratory testing and that the current version of the shot would continue to be its “first line of defense against Omicron.”

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The vaccine maker said the decision to focus on the current vaccine, mRNA-1273, was driven in part by how quickly the recently discovered variant is spreading.

The company still plans to develop a vaccine to protect against Omicron and hopes to start clinical trials early next year, it said.

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Evolutionary advantage? Why some people can’t help but faint at the sight of needles

For Lisa Robinson, it began in junior high while watching a first aid video. She suddenly slumped in her seat. Her friends caught her as she was sliding off her chair.

Robinson is a court reporter, a court stenographer. She’s fainted twice during examinations for discovery, or questioning of a witness under oath, while listening to testimony. One case involved a compound fracture, where bone penetrated skin, the other a vasectomy gone wrong. Once when she started feeling woozy, she asked for a minute and walked out of the law office and onto an elevator. She came to surrounded by paramedics. “Someone found me passed out in the elevator, and called 911.”

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Sunday Other teams join idle Flames as NHL halts cross-border games

The good news continues to pour in for the Calgary Flames as Sunday was the team’s second straight day of producing no further positive COVID-19 tests.

The team also received word that the National Hockey League and NHLPA jointly announced Sunday afternoon it would continue to play the regular-season schedule, despite outbreaks impacting the 32-team loop. That, of course, includes the Flames, who have been dealing with 32 cases of COVID-19 alone, including 19 affecting players who started testing positive a week ago. The Omicron variant has been detected in three cases, a number that will likely rise in the coming days.

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As of Saturday, the NHL postponed 27 games and 12 more through Dec. 23 leading up to the holidays due to the uncertainty caused by the pandemic and the aggressive spread of the Omicron variant. The NHL also announced that cross-border travel would be temporarily halted and Canadian-based teams with games against U.S.-based teams scheduled from Monday to Thursday would be postponed.

It’s welcome news, at least, to know the Flames will be in the same boat as some other teams, without games before Christmas. Calgary, so far, has had six games postponed since the outbreak began nine days ago.

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Sunday ‘It was chaos:’ Edmonton-area couple struggles to return from South Africa amid Omicron discovery

An Edmonton-area woman who struggled to return from South Africa after the emergence of the COVID-19 Omicron variant is warning travellers leaving Canada to do so with caution, because they may have to find their own way home.

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On Nov. 26, Parkland County couple Sonia Poulin and her husband Carsten Brehm arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa, to begin their return trip after wrapping up a walking safari in Kruger National Park for Poulin’s 50th birthday.

While in the bush for about three nights, they were unplugged from the latest news surrounding the discovery of the Omicron variant until that day, Poulin said, when the United Kingdom had suspended flights from several south African countries and both the U.S. and European Union (EU) were working toward similar measures.

Unsuccessful attempts to confirm their return flight with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines prompted the couple to rush to the airport in an effort to ensure their flight to Amsterdam the following day was secure, Poulin said, but the scene they encountered at the airport was far from reassuring.

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Sunday Business is up heading into 2022, but so too are worries about paying off COVID debt

The 40-strong team of workers at the Canadian Federation of Independent Business that takes calls from the association’s members has been hearing a lot about loans.

Federal loans, specifically.

As the clock ticked down to 2022, so too did the deadline for those businesses to repay federal pandemic loans under favourable financial conditions. And with it, worries from small businesses grew about how to pay off the emergency loans.

Then, two weeks before Christmas, a small present: Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said, as part of her economic and budget update, the deadline would be extended.

Now, the calls to the CFIB team have changed: How long do I have to repay, and what are the rules?

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“And we don’t have an answer to that yet,” said CFIB president Dan Kelly.

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Sunday Canada’s vaccine mandate for foreign crews a headache for European airlines

European airlines are walking an increasingly fine line to meet both foreign inoculation and local privacy requirements, as more countries require flight crews to be vaccinated against COVID-19, carriers say.

Canada is slated on Jan. 15 to end an exemption that allowed entry of unvaccinated foreign flight crews, joining others that have vaccine mandates for pilots and passengers alike.

That’s creating a logistical headache for European carriers, who are unable to ask for their employees’ vaccination status since they are bound to strict data protection laws in Europe, a spokesperson for the trade group Airlines For Europe (A4E) said.

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“Carriers will need to find workarounds in order to comply with the Canadian entry requirement,” A4E spokesperson Jennifer Janzen said by email.

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Sunday Threat of Omicron looms over Christmas holidays in Europe, U.S.

LONDON — The Netherlands went into lockdown on Sunday and the possibility of more COVID-19 restrictions over the Christmas and New Year period loomed over several European countries as the Omicron coronavirus variant spreads quickly.

In the United States, White House medical adviser Anthony Fauci urged people traveling over the holidays to get booster shots and always wear masks in crowded public spaces.

He described Omicron as “raging through the world,” and said traveling will increase the risk of infection even among vaccinated people.

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Dutch urban centres were largely deserted as the country began a snap lockdown that left people’s Christmas plans in disarray.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced the shutdown on Saturday evening, ordering the closure of all but essential stores, as well as restaurants, hairdressers, gyms, museums and other public places from Sunday until at least Jan. 14.

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Sunday U.K. health minister doesn’t rule out new COVID curbs before Christmas

LONDON — Britain’s health minister on Sunday declined to rule out the chance of further COVID-19 restrictions before Christmas, saying the spread of the Omicron variant was a very fast moving situation.

Britain has reported a surge in Omicron cases, which government advisers said could be just the tip of the iceberg. On Saturday, London’s mayor declared a “major incident” to help the city’s hospitals cope.

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Asked whether he could rule out new restrictions before Christmas, health minister Sajid Javid told BBC Television: “We are assessing the situation, it is very fast moving.”

“There are no guarantees in this pandemic I don’t think. At this point, we just have to keep everything under review.”

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Saturday Experts urge extra caution as Omicron cases rise in Alberta

Events are starting to be postponed or cancelled in Calgary and forecasters are calling for caution as active COVID-19 cases and Omicron cases appear to be on the rise in Alberta.

Alberta has recorded three straight days of active COVID-19 case increase as Wednesday, Thursday and Friday saw infections rise to 4,430 from 4,016, according to numbers posted on the provincial governments website Wednesday. This past week also saw the number Omicron variant cases rise to 173 on Friday, up from 30 that had been identified at the start of the week.

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Tyler Williamson, a biostatistician at the University of Calgary, said the rise was an upturn and implications of the increase are still unknown at this point. He said the blip could be an indicator a plateau that followed a large decrease in cases is over in Alberta given what is happening around Canada in relation to the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus.

“The implications of this slight upturn are still uncertain,” said Williamson. “I think we need to be very careful over these next few days. By careful, I think we need to watch things closely and be ready to adjust our activities accordingly.”

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Saturday Some rural Albertans say they were left behind during rapid test rollout

Albertans living outside of the province’s major urban centres are saying they were left behind by the government’s rollout of take-home rapid test kits.

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Friday marked the first day Albertans could receive a kit of rapid tests free of charge from pharmacies and local health centres. The government shipped over 500,000 kits to pharmacies in Red Deer, Edmonton and Calgary as well as health centres in other communities.

The launch of the program saw a large turnout across the province, with people in rural areas of the province saying their communities received only a very limited supply.

Eric Langshaw Power said he went to the health centre in Canmore shortly after it opened to find they had already distributed their entire supply. After speaking to a friend, he said he was told that there was a large lineup outside the centre before it opened and only some of the people who arrived for the initial rush were able to grab a kit.

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Saturday Dentists see pandemic stress in patients with more grinding, cracked, broken teeth

Stress and anxiety connected to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is revealing itself in people’s mouths, say dentists who report increasing cases of patients with cracked, broken and damaged teeth over the past 20 months.

Bruce Ward, a Vancouver-area, dentist, said he’s noticing the pressures of the pandemic are causing more people to involuntarily clench their jaws and grind their teeth with extreme amounts of force while sleeping.

“It’s like two pieces of ivory rubbing together,” said Ward, describing the grinding sound often first noticed by others.

Signs of teeth grinding are an aching jaw in the morning, headache and sore teeth, but sometimes it’s much worse, he said.

“I pulled two teeth (recently) that were split right up the middle and right across the bottom of the tooth and right out the other side,” said Ward, about the patient’s teeth that were weakened by grinding.

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