Everything you need to know about COVID-19 in Alberta on Friday, Dec. 17

The latest COVID-19 numbers:

• The Alberta government reported Fridaythat 54new cases of the Omicron variant have been detected.The provincehas identified 173cases in total.
• Of the 173 cases,143 people were vaccinated, 6 were partially vaccinated and 24 were unvaccinated, Alberta Health said.
• 71 of the cases are linked to travel, 39 were a close contact of a case, and 63 were related to communityor unknown transmission.
• About half of thevariant cases 87 are in the Calgary zone.
• The Alberta government reported Friday:
  • There were 553new COVIDcases.
  • The total number ofactive casesin Alberta is4,431.
  • Alberta Health says there are 344people with COVIDin hospital, including 68inintensive care.
  • The province recorded onenewdeath.
• Confirmed cases of the Omicron variant have been reported in three schools run by the Calgary Board of Education (CBE), the organization said Thursday. The University of Calgary also has a confirmed case of the variant.
• The Calgary Catholic School District has two confirmed cases of Omicron, each at a different school.

WATCH | Sally Otto, modelling expert and UBC professor, talks Omicron on CBC Calgary News

COVID-19 modelling expert Sally Otto says Alberta hasnt seen anything like Omicron

3 years ago

Duration 6:12

Otto fears contagious variant could cause a hospital pileup.

The latest on restrictions, rapid testing and more:

• Premier Jason Kenneyannounced on Wednesday that the province is loosening its privatesocial gathering restrictions, scrapping the rule that only people fromtwo households can get together indoors.
  • As of Wednesday,social gatherings can consist of people from any household, but groups must not exceed 10 people. Albertans under the age of 18 do not count in that tally.
  • The requirement that all people at indoor social gatherings be fully vaccinated is also being dropped.
• At 9:15 a.m. on Friday,AHStweeted that freetake-homeCOVID-19 rapid antigen testing kits had run out in sites includingLethbridge, Medicine Hat, Pincher Creek and Coaldale.
• Long lineups and wait times for kits have also been reported by Albertans on social media.
• In an emailed statement Friday, however, the government said:"Alberta Health has not had any significant issues with distribution to pharmacies, rollout is proceeding as announced."
• Kenney announcedthetesting kitswould become available Friday from participating pharmacies in Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary.
• In regards to the rapid tests, the provincial government said Wednesdaythat:
  • If you're not in Edmonton, Red Deer or Calgary,you can access testing kits through Alberta Health Services sites.
  • The province has more than half a million kits available to hand out. Each kit contains five tests.
  • Rapid test kits will also be made available at more schools and for vulnerable populations.
  • Thekits are intended for peoplewithoutsymptoms of COVID-19. Those who dohave symptomsshouldstay home, isolateand book a PCR test through Alberta Health Services.

• See how Alberta compares on vaccination rates and activecases with the rest of Canada, how many Albertans are in hospital and more in the other charts and graphs at the bottom of this story.

• CBC Calgary reported on Dec. 10 that theCalgary Catholic School District says it hasused more than 10,000rapid COVID-19 test kits provided by the province so far this school year, withhalf of those beingused by staff not fully vaccinated who are participating in the district's mandatory rapid testing program.
• The CBEsaid it is not providing rapid tests for staff.
• The Alberta governmentimposedthe restrictions exemption program,a voluntary vaccine passport system, as ofSept. 20tocombata disastrous fourth wave of COVID-19.A full list of restrictions and exemptions is available on the government's website.

The latest on vaccines:

• The province said Wednesday that85 per cent of eligible Albertans ages 12 and older have received both of their recommended doses of vaccine through Alberta Health Services, community pharmacies and physician offices.
• Kenney also announced Wednesday that allAlbertans 50 and older as well as all health-care workers wereimmediatelyeligible to getan mRNA COVID-19 vaccine booster shot, provided that at least six months hadpassed since their second dose.
  • Eligible peoplecan book appointments for third doses online with participating pharmacies or AHS by using the Alberta vaccinebooking system.
  • Albertans can also call 811,participating pharmaciesor participating physicians' offices.
• About95 per cent of CBE staff say they have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Dec. 17,leaving roughly 300 staff memberswho say they are not fully immunized, the board told CBC Calgary.
• CBE staff unwilling to declare their statusor participate in rapid testing will be put on leave without pay before Jan.4, the board also said.
• Alberta Health Servicesimplemented its immunization of workers for COVID-19 policy on Dec. 13. In an email to CBCNews, AHS stated around1,650 full- and part-time AHS staff who are not fully immunized have been placed on unpaid leave.
  • A total of 175 staffat healthcare facilities where there has beena low vaccine uptakehave been offered a rapid test option.
• AHS tweeted last Friday that it had receivedreports of a scam in which textsthat appear to be from AHSpromise Albertans money for getting a COVID-19 vaccine and ask for credit card information.
• Also last week, AHS tweetedthat it wasaware of misinformation being spread that children are being hospitalized atthe AlbertaChildren's Hospital with adverse reactions following COVID-19 vaccinations. AHS said it was untrue;there haven't been any pediatric hospitalizations related to COVID-19 vaccination.
• As of Friday:
  • 71.8 per cent of the province's total population or 76.5per cent of eligible Albertans(ages five years and older) have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
  • Out of the province's total population, 77.9per cent have received at least one dose, or 84.4per cent(agesfive and over), according toCBC'svaccinetracker.
  • That compares with81.7per cent of the total population Canada-wide whohavereceived at least one dose of vaccine, and 76.3per centof the total population who are fully vaccinated.Among those eligible across the country, 86per cent have had one dose, and 80.2per cent are fully vaccinated.
• The percentage of eligible people in Alberta who are vaccinated dropped on Nov. 26, when children between the ages of five to 11 were added to the population of thoseeligible.

See which regions are being hit hardest:

Here is thelatest detailed regional breakdownof active cases, as reported by the province on Friday:

• Calgary zone: 2,069.
• Edmonton zone: 1,283.
• Central zone:493.
• North zone:381.
• South zone:200.
• Unknown:5.

Here are the latest Alberta COVID-19 stories:

The latest updates on COVID-19 in Alberta in charts and graphs: