Everything you need to know about COVID-19 in Alberta on Tuesday, Aug. 3

The latest COVID-19 numbers

• Alberta reported 743 new cases of COVID-19 over the long weekend:
  • 240 cases, out of 6,701 tests on Friday.
  • 230 cases, out of 6,026 tests on Saturday.
  • 147 new cases, out of 4,393 tests on Sunday.
  • 126 cases, out of 4,479 tests on Monday.
• No additional deaths were reported. There have been a total of2,328 deaths.
• There were90 people being treated in hospital for COVIDin Alberta. Of those, 23were in intensive care units.
• The last daily positivity rate was2.81per cent.
• There were2,176active cases of COVID-19 across Alberta, an increaseof 521 from the previous data update.
• Calgary now has three times more active COVID-19 cases than Edmonton.
• On July28, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, provided her first update in weeks, saying the province is further relaxingpublic-health measures and plans to treat COVID-19 more like other respiratory viruses.
• Experts note thatthe virus is now spreading faster in Alberta than during the pandemic's third wave.
• Paul Boucher, the head of the Alberta Medical Association, said in an open letter to members that he has significant concerns with the province's decision to suspend almost all of its COVID-19 public health protocols.
• Members of the medical communityunhappy with the province's plan havehelddaily demonstrations at the Alberta Legislature in Edmonton and outsidethe provincial offices inCalgary's McDougall Centresince Wednesday's announcement.
• The R-value, which represents the number of people infected by each infected person, was 1.48 (with a confidence interval of 1.38-1.59)in Alberta as of Sunday, according to Alberta Health.
• That number which has doubled in recent weeks means 100 people with the virus will spread it to 148 others.
• At least 113 people caught COVID-19 at the Calgary Stampede, and31 of thosewere out-of-province cases. Alberta Health says there have been 313cases connected to people whoattended theStampededuring their incubation period.
• Dr. James Talbot, a former chief medical officer of health for the province, said it's likely that significant case growth associated with the Stampede won't be recorded until August, as the event wrapped on July 18.
• 230,534 Albertansare considered to have recovered from COVID-19.

(Note the latest daily count of new cases in the above chart will usually vary slightly from the net new cases Alberta Health announces each day. For more on why, click here.)

The latest on restrictions and reopenings:

• Despite the growing case numbers, positivity rate and R-value, Alberta is relaxing a number of restrictions in a two-phased approach over the next few weeks.
• As of Thursday, July 29, the following changes went into effect:
  • Quarantine for close contacts will no longer be mandatorybut recommended.
  • Contact tracers will no longer notify close contacts.Contact tracers will continue to investigate high-risk settings like continuing care facilities.
  • Asymptomatic testing will no longer be recommended.
• On Aug. 16, the following changes will go into effect:
  • You will no longer be required to isolate if you test positive for COVID-19, but isolation will still be strongly recommended.
  • Isolation hotels and quarantine supports will no longer be available.
  • Testing will be available for symptomatic people when needed to help direct patient care decisions.
  • After Aug. 31, testing for COVID-19 will be available for patients whose symptoms are severe enough to need care in hospitals or physicians' clinics.
  • Masking won't be required in schools.
  • Masks will no longer be required on public transit, or in most continuing care facilities.
• The U.S. land border will remain closed to non-essential travel until at least Aug.21, according to a renewal order issued by the Americangovernment. The U.S. government said while vaccination rates have improved, opening the land border to non-essential travel still poses too high a risk.
• Ottawa says starting Aug. 9 at 12:01 a.m. ETfully vaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents living in that country will be able to visit Canada without having to quarantine for two weeks.
• The government said it plans to allow fully vaccinated travellers from all other countries to enter Canada without quarantine on Sept. 7.
• Canadians and permanent residents who are fully vaccinatedwill need to show documents proving they received doses of vaccines approved in Canada at least 14 days prior to entering the country.
• Officials said travellers must electronically submit COVID-19-related information to the government'sArriveCANapp before arriving,meet the pre- and on-arrival test requirements, be asymptomaticand have a suitable quarantine plan.
• Alberta entered Stage 3 of its three-stage reopening plan onJuly 1, lifting all restrictions.

The latest on vaccines:

• 55.9per cent of Albertans are now fully vaccinated against COVID, and 64.7per cent have now received at least one dose (or 76per cent of those eligible).
• Alberta Health has partnered with a coalition of businesses to launch a mobile clinic that will administer first and second doses of the vaccine at remote work camps, rural communities and hard-to-reach populations. Its tour of the province began Monday in theBanff and Kananaskis areas.
• A poll released on July 21by the Angus Reid Institute suggests that vaccine hesitancy is more common in Alberta than in the rest of the country. The survey found that one in five Albertans remain disinclined to get a shot twice the national average.
• According to the poll, in B.C. the hesitancy rate is 12 per cent, and in Ontario and Quebec it's just nine per cent.
• Hinshawtweeted on July 21that the province's latest datareaffirms that vaccination provides excellentprotection against infection and variants.
• Hinshaw said one dose proves to be 57 per cent effective against the B.1.617 variant, and increases to 85 per centwith two doses. Against the B.1.1.7 variant, two doses prove to be 91 per cent effective.
• She also noted that 96 per cent of Albertans who have tested positive for the virus since Jan. 1 had nothad two doses of vaccine, and91 per cent of COVID-19 deaths and 95 per cent of hospital and intensive care unit admissions followed the same trend.

See which regions are being hit hardest:

You can see active cases by local health area on the following interactive map. Scroll, zoom and click on the map for more information:

Here is thedetailed regional breakdownof active cases as reported by the province on Tuesday:

• Calgary zone:1,234.
• Edmonton zone:402.
• Central zone:133.
• South zone: 210.
• North zone:189.
• Unknown: 8.

Here are the latest Alberta COVID-19 stories: