What you need to know about COVID-19 in Alberta on Thursday, Nov. 12

The latest:

• For two weeks, from Nov.13 to Nov. 27, the province will suspend indoor group fitness programs, team sports andgroup performance activities, as well as reduce operating hours for bars and pubs.
• Alberta reported 860 new cases on Thursday and now has a record 8,305 active cases.
• Ten new deaths were reported on Thursday, bringing the total to 393.
• There are 225 people in hospital, including 51 in intensive careanother record high number. Just three weeks ago, there were 116 people in hospital and 16 in ICU.
• A group of more than 430 Alberta physicians and three major health-care unions are sending a letter to Premier Jason Kenneytodayendorsing the idea of a "circuit-breaker" lockdown as cases of COVID-19 continue to surge in the province.
• Grade 12 students at Calgary's John Diefenbaker High School have been told to quarantine for two weeks after "a number of positive cases" were identified at the school.
• An outbreak at the Calgary Drop-In Centre has resulted in15 clients and one staff member testing positive for COVID-19. There are also two positive cases at Alpha House and five at an Alpha House transitional facility.

What you need to know today in Alberta

Alberta reported 860 new cases on Thursday and now has a record 8,305 active cases another record high.

For the next two weeks, Alberta will suspend indoor group fitness programs, team sports and group performance activities, as well as reduce operating hours for bars and pubs.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney announced the new restrictions Thursday.

The restrictions were released the same day aletter signed by more than 430 physicianscalled onKenney to implement a "circuit-breaker" targetedlockdown, on the heels of a similar call made by dozens of doctors earlier this week.

"There is no more time. We have to act now," saidDr. Tehseen Ladha, who co-authored the latest letter. "We need something strong and mandatory in order to bend the curve."

There should be consequences for 'egregious' actions during pandemic: Hinshaw

4 years ago

Duration 1:21

Alberta's Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw says that people who egregiously flout health orders during the pandemic should face consequences.

Beginning Friday, all restaurants, bars, lounges and pubs in Calgary and Edmonton and other areas under enhanced status (areaswith more than 50 active cases per 100,000 people),must stop liquor sales by 10 p.m.

Along with the restrictions,KenneyurgedAlbertans in any area under enhanced measures to not to have social gatherings in their homes.

Hospitals in Calgary are preparing for an influx of patients in the coming days and weeks.Dr. Peter Jamieson,the medical director at Foothills hospital, says the city's ICUs are operating at over 80 per cent capacity. If necessary,COVID-19 patients couldbe sent to atemporary tent facility at the Peter Lougheed hospital or to the Alberta Children's Hospital.

Kenney urges Albertans to stop social gatherings at home

4 years ago

Duration 2:42

Premier Jason Kenney is calling on Albertans to not host parties or large family dinners and is expanding the 15-person limit on social gatherings to all communities on the provinces COVID-19 watch list.

Maintaining appropriate staffing levels in Edmonton hospitals has also been a challenge as COVID-19 cases continue to climb, and some doctors warn that staff are burning out.

The premier has warned thatAHSmay need to cancel elective surgeries, as it did in the spring, to make more room for potential COVID patients, should case numbers continue to escalate.

The reopening of schools has been highlighted as a potentialdriver of recentsurges in other parts of Canada and around the world, but Hinshaw doesn't believe they are causing the high rate of new cases in this province.

"I do not see evidence in Alberta of schools driving that increasing community transmission," shesaid. "It does seem to be the reverse,with community transmission causing increased pressure in schools."

Outbreaks at two shelters have left Calgary's homeless terrified to come in out of the cold for fear of catching COVID-19, says a group that helps people living on the streets. Be The Change YYC provides food, water, blankets, hygiene supplies, tents and tarps three nights a week in the city's downtown.

Founder Chaz Smith said virus outbreaks at the Calgary Drop-In Centre and Alpha House have left the homeless facing a difficult choice.

"Do you freeze or do you potentially risk catching COVID?" Smith said in an interview with The Canadian Press.

Here isthe regional breakdown of active cases reported on Thursday. A detailed breakdown of active case numbers was not available on Wednesday:

• Calgary zone:3,504.
• Edmonton zone: 3,387.
• North zone: 510.
• South zone: 518.
• Central zone: 347.
• Unknown: 39.

Find out which neighbourhoods or communities have the most cases, how hard people of different ages have been hit, the ages of people in hospital, how Alberta compares to other provinces and more in: Here are the latest COVID-19 statistics for Alberta and what they mean

What you need to know today in Canada:

As of 6:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, provinces and territories in Canada had reported a cumulative total of 281,448confirmed or presumptive coronavirus cases. Provinces and territories listed 226,390cases as recovered or resolved. A CBC News tally of deaths based on provincial reports, regional health information and CBC's reporting stood at 10,764.

Ontario will release updated modelling on Thursday forecasting the course of its second wave of COVID-19, as some epidemiologists already project the province willsurpass 2,000 new cases per day by early December.

This comes as Ontario sees a renewed surge in infections, despite recent comments by Premier Doug Ford suggesting the pandemic curve is flattening or going down.

Over the past week, Ontario has reporteda daily average of more than 1,200 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, and on four of the past five days, the provincebrokeits previous single-day record.

InQuebecon Wednesday, health officialsreported 1,378 new COVIDcases and 22 more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus, six of which occurred in the previous 24 hours.

Health officials said Thursday hospitalizations increased by 39, to 573, and 84 patients were in intensive care, a rise of two.

Manitoba's sharp new code redCOVID-19 restrictions kicked in early Thursday as the province tries to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Health officialsreported431 new cases and nine new deaths in the province on Wednesday. Hospitalizations stood at218, with 32 in intensive care a record high in the province.

Schools will stay open, but everything from non-essential retail to theatres and restaurant dining roomswill be closed.

In neighbouringSaskatchewan, more than 300 doctors have signeda letter calling for that province to do more to fight the novel virus.

"If more is not done to change our course, we are confident that winter will bring overflowing hospitals, cancelled surgeries, overwhelmed health-care providersand needless death," the letter said.

InBritish Columbia, the Interior Health authority has issued a COVID-19 alert to its residents as cases rise in the region. The health authority, which includes communities like Kamloops and Kelowna, saidin a statement that it's concerned by theupward trend and frequencyof new local clusters.

A recent provincial health officer's order limiting social interactions doesn't apply to Interior Health, but local health officials said they needthe public's help to prevent further restrictions.

Self-assessment and supports:

With winter cold and influenza season approaching, Alberta Health Services will prioritize Albertans for testing who have symptoms, and those groups which are at higher risk of getting or spreading the virus.

General asymptomatictesting is currently unavailable for people with no known exposure to COVID-19.

The province says Albertans who have returned to Canada from other countries must self-isolate. Unless your situation is critical and requires a call to 911, Albertans are advised to call Health Link at 811 before visiting a physician, hospital or other health-care facility.

If you have symptoms, even mild, you are to self-isolate for at least 10 days from the onset of symptoms, until the symptoms have disappeared.

You can find Alberta Health Services' latest coronavirus updates here.

The province also operates a confidential mental health support line at 1-877-303-2642 and addiction help line at 1-866-332-2322, both available 24 hours a day.

Online resources are available for advice on handling stressful situations and ways to talk with children.

There is a 24-hour family violence information line at 310-1818 to get anonymous help in more than 170 languages, and Alberta's One Line for Sexual Violence is available at 1-866-403-8000, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.