Everything you need to know about COVID-19 in Alberta on Monday, Nov. 15

The latest COVID-19 numbers:

• Alberta reported 1,068 new COVID-19 cases over the weekend:
  • 429cases on Friday.
  • 353cases on Saturday.
  • 286cases on Sunday.
• There have been 17 new deaths reported to Alberta Health. A total of3,188Albertans have died of COVID since the pandemic began.
• The total number of active cases in Alberta is5,828.
• 321,082Albertansare considered to have recovered.
• As of Monday, there are 519 people in hospital with COVID-19. Of these, 100are in ICUs.
• As of Sunday Nov. 14, AHS says there are275 general adult ICU beds open in Alberta, including 102 additional spaces above the baseline of 173 general adult ICU beds.
• There are currently 209patients in ICU, about half of whom are COVID positive, AHS said.
• ProvincialICU capacity, with additional surge beds,isat 78 per cent. Without additional surge spaces, provincial ICU capacity would be at 124 per cent.

• 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. 1-14was 0.92, with a confidence interval between0.89 and 0.96.
• In response to falling COVID-19 numbers across the province, live media updates now will be held only once a week on Tuesdays.Daily numbers will continueto be postedonline, said the province's chief medical officer of health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw.

The latest on vaccines:

• On Monday, 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.
• Beginning on Monday, 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.
• Exceptions includeFirst Nations and military vaccination records.
• 69.5per cent of the province's total population or 81.8per cent of eligible Albertans have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.Out of the province's total population, 74.6per cent have received at least one dose, or 87.7per cent of those eligible.
• That compares with78.1per cent of the total population Canada-wide thathavereceived at least one dose of vaccine, and 74.6per centof the total population are fully vaccinated,according to theCBC'svaccinetracker.Among those eligible, 89.2per cent have had one dose and 85.2per cent are fully vaccinated.
• The government announced Friday that 5,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson's Janssen COVID-19 vaccine have arrived in the province.
• Albertans who are 18 and older and interested in receiving the single-dose, viral vector vaccine can book an appointment through 811.
• Due to a limited supply, the Janssen vaccine will only be administered at Alberta Health Services clinics in select locations across the province, the province said in a news release.
• As of Nov. 8, more Albertans are eligible for a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Residents aged 70 and older, as well as First Nations, Mtis and Inuit residents 18 years and upareable to access the booster shots.
• Third doses will be available for front-line health-care workers as well. The doses need to be booked for a time that's at least six months after the second dose.
• As of Oct. 25, Albertansaged 12 and older need to provide proof of full vaccination twoCOVID-19 vaccine doses to access restaurants, movies, sporting events and other businesses provincewideoperating under the province's Restrictions Exemption Program.

• The Alberta government has released an app to scan and verify QR code vaccine records. The AB COVID Records Verifier app is available to download on Apple and Android devices.
• 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.
• Alberta Premier Jason Kenney'sgovernment imposedthevoluntary vaccine passport system that took effect Sept. 20tocombat the disastrous fourth wave of COVID-19.
• Operators who are eligible for the program,but opt not to take part, will have to follow measures that include capacity limits and physical distancing.
• A full list of restrictions and exemptions is available on the government's website.
• The City of Calgary's mandatory vaccination policy came into force on Nov. 1. It's requiring all city employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, regardless of whether they work in the office, at home or elsewhere. On Tuesday, it said 85per cent of its staffare fully vaccinated. That's nearly 11,000 employees.
• The city saysemployees who are not fully vaccinated by Nov.1 are required to take part in a rapid testing program and a mandatory education program about the efficacy and safety of the COVID-19 vaccines.
• 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.
• AHS is extending the deadline 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 will 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, AlbertaChief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena 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.
• Edmonton's mask mandate will stay in place with no thresholds for repeal or expiry date, after council voted Nov. 9to revise the current bylaw. The bylaw was on the verge of expiring as it came close to hitting a triggerof having 10 consecutive days offewer than 100 active cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 people.
• Calgary's citycouncil has voted to change the threshold for repealing Calgary's mask bylaw.In September, council voted to repeal the bylaw either effective Dec. 31or when Calgary's COVID case counts dropped below 100 per 100,000population for 10consecutive days. Instead, councilvoted Nov. 1 to change the threshold to 28 days.
• The number of surgeries delayed in Alberta by the fourth wave of the pandemic hadreached 15,000 by Nov. 4 nearly double what it was a month ago as the provincecancelled procedures and reallocated resources to COVID-19 patients,Health Minister Jason Copping said.
• Coppingalso said on Nov. 4 that the province "hasn't got a clear timeline at this point in time" when delayed surgeries will resume. The minister said surgeries are still being delayed every day, despite dropping case numbers.

• The regulator ofAlberta's doctors said on Nov. 4 it is performing unannounced inspections at medical clinics in a bid to crack down on doctors who spread COVID-19 misinformation or prescribe unproven remedies for the disease.
• The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) said as of Nov. 4, it hadconducted five inspections related to COVID-19 complaints inthree weeks.
• Hinshawannounced new measures for continuing care facilities that started Oct. 25. All visitors will be required to wear a mask in all indoor areas of the building, including in residents' rooms. All residents must also quarantine after returning from a hospital stay of 24 hours or more until they get a negative COVID-19 test result.
• The province announced new measures to protect children and youth from COVID-19 on Oct. 5. Contact tracing in schools will be phased in, outbreaks will be declared in schools, and rapid-test kits will be made available for parents to test younger children.

See which regions are being hit hardest:

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

• Edmonton zone:1,249.
• Calgary zone:1,848.
• North zone:1,213.
• Central zone: 991.
• South zone:521.
• Unknown:6.

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