January 27, 2021 – Alberta Sees Drop in COVID-19 Cases

Public health measures remain in place provincewide. Stay home when sick, get tested and follow all the other measures to protect others and the health-care system.

Latest updates

• Over the last 24 hours, 459 new cases were identified.
• There are 604 people in hospital due to COVID-19, including 110 in intensive care.
• There are 8,203 active cases in the province.
• To date, 112,558 Albertans have recovered from COVID-19.
• In the last 24 hours, there were 12 additional COVID-related deaths reported: one on Dec. 20, one on Jan. 21, seven on Jan. 25, and three on Jan. 26.
• The testing positivity rate was 3.6 per cent.
• There was an increase of 12,856 tests (3,130,184 total) for a total of 1,744,022 people tested.
• All zones across the province have cases:
  • Calgary Zone: 3,252 active cases and 43,153 recovered
  • South Zone: 355 active cases and 5,325 recovered
  • Edmonton Zone: 2,862 active cases and 47,292 recovered
  • North Zone: 1,009 active cases and 8,797 recovered
  • Central Zone: 712 active cases and 7,876 recovered
  • 13 active cases and 115 recovered cases in zones to be confirmed
  • Additional information, including case totals, is online.
• Currently, 288 schools, about 12 per cent, are on alert or have outbreaks, with 554 cases in total.
  • 273 schools are on alert, with 428 total cases.
  • Outbreaks are declared in 15 schools, with a total of 126 cases.
  • In-school transmission has likely occurred in 53 schools. Of these, 41 have had only one new case occur as a result.
• There are currently 770 active and 7,926 recovered cases at long-term care facilities and supportive/home living sites.
• To date, 1,044 of the 1,599 reported deaths (65 per cent) have been in long-term care facilities or supportive/home living sites.

COVID-19 vaccination program

• As of Jan. 26, 101,123 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Alberta. This is 2,286.9 doses per 100,000 population. There are now 11,362 Albertans fully immunized with two doses.
• Due to interruptions in vaccine supply, no new first dose appointments will be booked for the next few weeks.
• As more doses of vaccines arrive, Alberta will expand its vaccine approach.

Current provincewide restrictions

• All enhanced public health measures remain in place provincewide.
• Health officials continue to actively evaluate the situation and will adjust measures if required.

COVID-19 variants

• Alberta is actively monitoring for COVID-19 variants and is enhancing the province’s capacity to do genetic analysis on samples.
• As of Jan. 25, Alberta had identified 20 cases of the variant first identified in the United Kingdom and five cases of the variant first identified in South Africa. Variant case numbers will be updated weekly.

Border pilot program

• All border pilot participants must remain in quarantine until receiving a negative result from their second test on day seven or eight (counting arrival day as day one).
• Travellers currently in the program must immediately return to quarantine if they haven’t taken their second test and received the negative result.
• Participants cannot return to child care, out-of-school care, schools, post-secondary institutions, and workplaces outside of their home for 14 days.
• Returning travellers from the United Kingdom or South Africa are not eligible to participate in the border pilot program.

Schools

• Strong public health measures remain in place to support the health and safety of students, teachers and staff.
• Alberta’s phased approach to vaccination focuses first on priority health-care workers and those who are at highest risk of severe outcomes.

COVID Care Teams outreach

• A comprehensive outreach program is reaching communities with high levels of COVID-19 spread in Edmonton and Calgary.
• If you or others in your home have been directed to self-isolate/quarantine by Alberta Health Services and are unable to do so safely at home, please contact 211 to discuss options, including accessing an assigned hotel to safely isolate (free of charge). Financial assistance may also be available in the amount of $625, upon completion of the self-isolation period.

Enforcement of public health measures

• The government has granted certain Alberta peace officers and community peace officers temporary authority to enforce public health orders.
• Not following mandatory restrictions will result in fines of $1,000 per ticketed offence and up to $100,000 through the courts.

Albertans downloading tracer app

• All Albertans are encouraged to download the secure ABTraceTogether app, which is integrated with provincial contact tracing. The federal app is not a contact tracing app.
• Secure contact tracing is an effective tool to stop the spread by notifying people who were exposed to a confirmed case so they can isolate and be tested.
• As of Jan. 25, 304,087 Albertans were using the ABTraceTogether app, 66 per cent on iOS and 34 per cent on Android.
• Secure contact tracing is a cornerstone of Alberta’s Relaunch Strategy.

MyHealth Records quick access

• Parents and guardians can access the COVID-19 test results for children under the age of 18 through MyHealth Records (MHR) as soon as they are ready.
• More than 500,000 Albertans have MHR accounts.

Influenza immunization

• All Albertans, especially seniors and those at risk, are encouraged to get immunized against influenza.
• More than 1,520,118 Albertans have received their flu shot.

Addiction and mental health supports

• Confidential supports are available. The Mental Health Help Line at 1-877-303-2642 and the Addiction Help Line at 1-866-332-2322 operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Resources are also available online.
• The Kids Help Phone is available 24-7 and offers professional counselling, information and referrals and volunteer-led, text-based support to young people by texting CONNECT to 686868.
• Online resources provide advice on handling stressful situations and ways to talk with children.

Family violence prevention

• A 24-hour Family Violence Information Line at 310-1818 provides anonymous help in more than 170 languages.
• Alberta’s One Line for Sexual Violence is available at 1-866-403-8000, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• People fleeing family violence can call local police or the nearest RCMP detachment to apply for an Emergency Protection Order, or follow the steps in the Emergency Protection Orders Telephone Applications (COVID-19).
• Information sheets and other resources on family violence prevention are at alberta.ca/COVID19.

Alberta’s government is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by protecting lives and livelihoods with precise measures to bend the curve, sustain small businesses and protect Alberta’s health-care system.

Quick facts

• Legally, all Albertans must physically distance and isolate when sick or with symptoms.
• Good hygiene is your best protection: wash your hands regularly for at least 20 seconds, avoid touching your face, cough or sneeze into an elbow or sleeve, and dispose of tissues appropriately.
• Please share acts of kindness during this difficult time at #AlbertaCares.
• Alberta Connects Contact Centre (310-4455) is open Monday to Friday, 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.