What’s happening now
Rates of COVID-19 infection in Alberta continued to surge Friday, as the province reported another 1,690 cases of the virus.
Albertans in their thirties won’t become eligible for AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine just yet despite a new recommendation from a national panel because of supply issues, Health Minister Tyler Shandro said Friday.
Albertans could face fines if they cross into B.C. as the province restricts non-essential travel between its three regional zones to stifle the spread of COVID-19.
Rates of COVID-19 infection in Alberta have reached a height not seen since the peak of the province’s second wave of infections in mid-December. Dr. Deena Hinshaw announced this afternoon that Alberta has identified its first case of the so-called ‘double mutant’ B.1.617 variant.
What’s happening now
Albertans born in 1981 or earlier can now book the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Alberta is reporting 1,391 new COVID-19 cases with a positivity rate of 11 per cent. Three deaths were reported in the last 24 hours. Alberta will officially allow people as young as 40 to get the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine starting tomorrow, with some pharmacies already opening up today.
Ontario and Quebec have imposed new interprovincial travel restrictions in an effort to slow the surging COVID-19 variants that are putting increasing strain on Ontario’s hospital system.
Thousands of students in Calgary and in northern Alberta are shifting to online learning today because of rising COVID-19 infection rates.