Everything you need to know about COVID-19 in Alberta on Tuesday, Nov. 30

The latest COVID-19 numbers:

• Alberta'sfirst case of the omicron variant has been confirmed in a traveller who returnedto the province from Nigeria and the Netherlands,Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, told a news conference Tuesday.
• She said the individual, who had been travelling alone,returned to Alberta about a week ago and tested for COVID-19 on arrival. The person hasnot left quarantine sincearrival from international travel.
• Kenney said Monday the province wasmonitoring the 156 travellers who hadreturned from southern Africa in the past two weeks. The travellers have been given information on COVID-19 protocols and offered rapid-testing kits in addition to PCR tests.
• The Alberta government reported Tuesday that there were 238 new COVID-19 cases.
• Alberta Health says there are 434 people with COVID in hospital;81 of them are in intensive care.
• The province recorded sixnewdeaths on Tuesday.

• A total of 3,248Albertans have died since the pandemic began.
• There areactive alerts or outbreaks in 147schools.
• The total number of active cases in Alberta is4,454.
• 327,454Albertansare considered to have recovered.
• Alberta is reporting an R-value below 1. The R-value is the average number of COVID-19 infections transmitted by each diagnosed case.
• An R-value below 1.0 means transmission is nolonger growing. Provincewide, the R-value for Nov. 8 to 28was 0.88, with a confidence interval between0.84 and 0.91.
• The R-value for the Edmonton zone is 0.95, and in Calgary it's0.90. In therest of Alberta the rate is0.80.
• In response to falling COVID-19 numbers across the province, the government is only giving live media updates once a week and otherwise posting daily numbers online.

The latest on vaccines:

• Unvaccinated travellers over the age of 12 won't be able to board a plane or train in Canada beginning Nov. 30, and a negative COVID-19 test will no longer serve as a substitute for most people.
• Alberta's vaccine record now meetsthe recommended Canadian standard for domestic and international travel. It includesmiddle names andis in both official languagesatalberta.ca/CovidRecords.
• Kenney said Monday that Albertans can now download an updated QR federal code for air and rail travel after it was suspended following a data breach last week. The premier said an investigation into the reasons for the data breach is ongoing.

• The percentage of eligible people who are vaccinated dropped on Nov. 26, aschildren between the ages of five to 11 were added to the population of thoseeligible in Alberta:
  • 71.4per cent of the province's total population or 76per 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, 76.1per cent have received at least one dose, or 81per cent of (ages5and over), according toCBC'svaccinetracker.
  • That compares with79.2per cent of the total population Canada-wide thathavereceived at least one dose of vaccine, and 75.6per centof the total population are fully vaccinated.Among those eligible, 83.3per cent have had one dose and 79.5per cent are fully vaccinated.

• COVID-19 vaccination appointments began Nov. 26 for children between the ages of 5 and 11.
  • Appointments can be made for children at Alberta.ca/vaccine or by calling Heath Link at 811.
  • The pediatric vaccines are being delivered to 120 vaccination clinics across the province, althoughnotin schools.
  • Children eligible for vaccines who live on a First Nations reservecan access doses through nursing stations or public health clinics on the reserve.
  • Regardless of whether they are vaccinated, children ages five to 11 will not be subject to Alberta's restrictions exemption program.

• More Albertans becameeligible for a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as of Nov. 8 including:
  • Residents aged 70 and older.
  • First Nations, Mtis and Inuit residents 18 years and upareable to access the booster shots.
  • Frontline health-care workers. The doses need to be booked for a time that's at least six months after the second dose.
• The province said Nov. 23 it is now recommending an eight-week interval between mRNA vaccines.
  • The Alberta government is nowadvising that anyone between the ages of 12 and 29 receive the Pfizer-BioNTechvaccine rather than Moderna.

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  Kenney'sgovernment imposeda voluntary vaccine passport system as ofSept. 20tocombat the disastrous fourth wave of COVID-19.
• As of Nov. 15, anyone wanting to enter a business taking part in the Albertarestrictions exemption programmust presentproof of vaccinationthat includes a QR code.For those over18, valid identification matching that record is also required.
  • Albertans can get their enhanced vaccine records with aQR code online atalberta.ca/CovidRecords.
  • The AB COVID Records Verifier app is available to download on Apple and Android devices.
  • Exceptions includeFirst Nations and military vaccination records.
  • People who are not fully vaccinated can still opt toprovide a privately paid negative COVID-19 test from within the previous 72 hours or valid proof of a medical exemption.
  • Operators who are eligible for the program,but opt not to take part, have to follow measures that include capacity limits and physical distancing.
  • As of Monday (Nov. 29), ski hills can operate outdoor activities without implementing the program. Masking will still be required in enclosed areas.
  • Ski hill operators can implement the program for indoor areas to permit indoor dining and other activities.
  • A full list of restrictions and exemptions is available on the government's website.

• The City of Calgary'sstate of local emergencyexpires on Dec.2. However, the vaccine passport bylaw andface covering bylaw will remain in place.
• On Nov. 15, Calgary city council voted unanimously in favour ofextending the city's mandatory vaccination policy for staff to include citizen members appointed to boards, commissions and committees.As of Dec. 1, those who are not vaccinatedwill be required to continue to participate in the rapid testing program on their own time and at their own expense.
• Albertapublic sector workers will soon be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination. The policy, approved by the province's COVID-19 cabinet committeewill affect25,500 provincialemployees who must all submit proof of full vaccination by Nov. 30.
• AHSextended adeadline for employees, medical and midwifery staff, students, volunteers and contracted healthcare providers to comply with its mandatory immunization policy until Nov. 30.

The latest on surgeries, hospitals, mask bylaws and more:

• Support people who are symptomatic for, or diagnosed with, COVID-19 are no longer be able to accompany maternity patients into hospitals.
  • Alberta Health had previously allowed designated support people who were COVID-19 positive or symptomatic into hospitals with maternity patients.They rescinded the order after determining with Alberta Health Services that health-care facilities couldn't provide the additional protections required.

• AHS has begun administering a new monoclonal antibody treatment that was recently approved by Health Canada, Hinshaw said on Nov. 9.
  • Sotrovimab is a new drug developed for treating patients with COVID-19 who have mild to moderate symptoms.
  • It is the first treatment to be offered to outpatients in Alberta.

See which regions are being hit hardest:

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

• Calgary zone:1,761.
• Edmonton zone:1,107.
• North zone:753.
• Central zone: 591.
• South zone:330.
• Unknown:3.

Here are the latest Alberta COVID-19 stories: