Everything you need to know about COVID-19 in Alberta on Friday, Aug. 20

The latest COVID-19 numbers:

• Alberta reported 749new cases of COVID-19 on Friday. That's slightly down from Thursday's number of817, which was the highest daily tally since May 19.
• There were 6,709active casesacross Alberta, an increaseof342 from the previous data update.
• There were 221people being treated in hospital for COVIDin Alberta. Of those, 48were in intensive care units.
• The positivity rate was 8.32per cent.
• One more deathwasreported. There have been a total of2,343deaths.
• The R-value, which represents the number of people infected by each infected person, was 1.25(with a confidence interval of 1.2-1.31) as of last Monday.

• 233,945 Albertansare considered to have recovered from COVID-19.
• Alberta Health Services says a woman considered dead for 30 minutes due to a blood clot related to COVID-19 was brought back to life by Calgary physicians using a new device calledthe Indigo Lightning CAT12, in what they believe was its first use in Canada.
• A COVID-19 outbreak has been declared at Medicine Hat Regional Hospital.On Wednesday, Alberta Health Services said the outbreak consists of15 staff and physicians who havetested positive, as well asfive patients all of whom were at the hospital for non-COVID health reasons whoacquired COVID-19 while in hospital.
• Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health,noted onTwitterthat 76.3 per cent of people admitted to regular hospital beds were unvaccinated and 17.5 per cent partially vaccinated.
• Of those in the ICU, 90.7 per cent were unvaccinated and 4.7 per cent were partially vaccinated.
• Alberta provincial data indicates that, from July 1 to Aug. 9, roughly 69 per cent of the COVID-19 infections were among unvaccinated people, compared with 19 per cent who were partially vaccinated and 12 per cent who were fully vaccinated.

• Hinshawhas apologizedfor failing to release public health data used to justify controversial changes in the province's pandemic response that were walked back amid rising case counts.
• She had planned to share modelling used to shape Alberta's new COVID-19 protocols during an information meetingWednesday with primary-care providers but apologized, and said the province needed longer than she expected to compile the information.

The latest on restrictions and reopenings:

• The Alberta government announced last week that COVID-19 public health measures that had been set to expireonAug. 16 wouldremain in place for another six weeks until Sept. 27, as new daily cases surged by the hundredsand non-ICU hospitalizations trended higher than expected, including:
  • Mandatory masking orders in publicly accessible transit, taxis and ride-shares. This includes school buses.
  • Mandatory isolation for 10 days for those with COVID-19 symptoms or a positive test result.
  • Testing at assessment centres for any symptomatic individual.
• As of July 29,the Alberta government made the following changes:
  • Quarantine for close contacts isno longer mandatorybut recommended.
  • Contact tracers no longer notify close contacts.Contact tracers will continue to investigate high-risk settings like continuing care facilities.
  • Asymptomatic testing is no longer recommended.

• The Calgary Board of Education announced Thursday it was reopening registration for its online learning option because of the continued uncertainty over theCOVID-19 pandemic.The school board originally closed registration for CBe-learn on April 23and didn't plan to allow furtherregistrations.
• The Calgary Board of Education said Wednesday it would require masks for K-12 students and staff this fall.
• The Calgary Catholic School District followed suit on Thursday, and also said masks will need to be worn by K-12 students and staff at the beginning of the school year.
• At the University of Alberta, the University of Calgary and the University of Lethbridge, anyone not fully vaccinated will have to undergo regular rapid testing as of Sept.1, the schools announced in a joint statement Tuesday morning.
• The three schools are also requiring mask-wearing in public indoor areas where physical distancing is not possible.
• Masks will be mandatory in classes, labs and indoor gatherings of 20 or more people when nearly all faculty and staff return this fall to Mount Royal University in Calgary.
• At Calgary's SAITcampus,masks are required for all indoor spaceseffective Aug. 23. Bow Valley College will require masks indoors as of Aug. 19.
• The United States said Friday it was extending restrictions on non-essential travel at land and ferry border crossings with Canada until Sept. 21.

The latest on vaccines:

• The Alberta government says it expects to have a decision by next month about whether to offer COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to people with compromised immune systems, after U.S. health officials recommended the extra protection be made available to all Americans.
• 58.2per cent of allAlbertans arefully vaccinated against COVID, and 65.6per cent have received at least one dose (or 77.2per cent of those eligible).

• Starting Sept. 7, temporary COVID-19 vaccineclinics will be set up in schools for students in Grades 7 to 12 and for teachers and staff.
• Nationally, 72.3per cent of the total populationhave received at least one dose. In Ontario, that figure is 72.2 per cent, and in Quebec it's 74.7per cent.
• The federal government will soon require that all public servants be vaccinated a mandate thatwill also be implemented by Crown corporations and other federally regulated businesses in the coming weeks.
• Starting soon, all commercial air travellers and passengers on inter-provincial trains and large marine vessels with overnight accommodations (such as cruiseships) will have to be vaccinated. Accommodations will be made for "those few who are unable to be vaccinated," such as testing and screening.

See which regions are being hit hardest:

Here is thedetailed regional breakdownof active cases as reported by the province on Friday.

• Calgary zone: 2,189.
• Edmonton zone: 2,005.
• South zone: 912.
• North zone: 994.
• Central zone: 587.
• Unknown: 22.

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