What you need to know about COVID-19 in Alberta on Thursday, April 30
New rules for workers and visitors will be implemented at long-term care homes
The latest:
- Premier Jason Kenney unveiled his government's plan for a staged relaunch of the economy.
- Alberta reported three more deaths and 190 new cases of COVID-19.
- The City of Calgary is facing a budget shortfall of at least $235 million if pandemic carries on until December.
- The UCP has now been in power for one year and faces three crises heading into its second.
- Caregivers at long-term care homes will have more say in where they work once restricted to just one location, but there's still no date for when rule changes come into effect.
- An Alberta judge rules COVID-19 not an excuse to unilaterally suspend child-custody access.
- The province reported seven more deaths and 315 new cases on Wednesday afternoon.
What you need to know today in Alberta:
Golf courses can open next week and other shops and restaurants will open by mid-May, depending on Alberta's ability to continue to control the spread of COVID-19.
Kenney outlined the province's staged relaunch plan on Thursday, which will begin next week as some non-urgent surgeries resume and offices reopen for dentists, social workers, dieticians and others.
The province will open in three stages, Kenney said, with specific timetables on the second and third stages yet to be announced.
The regional breakdown of the cases as of Thursday was:
- Calgary zone: 3,590.
- South zone: 946.
- Edmonton zone: 490.
- North zone: 211.
- Central zone: 85.
- Unknown: 33.
As of Thursday, 141,060 people have been tested for COVID-19 in Alberta.
What you need to know today in Canada:
Manitoba also announced plans for an initial easing of restrictions, which will begin on May 4. Newfoundland and Labrador also announced plans today.
Across the country, the death toll from the virus passed 3,000 on Wednesday, according to a CBC News tally based on provincial health data, regional public health information and CBC's reporting.
CBC News is telling the story of the first 1,000 people who died from COVID-19, but with a dearth of information from authorities there's no way at this time to tell the full story of the pandemic in Canada.
As of 7:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, there were 53,236 confirmed and presumptive coronavirus cases in Canada, with 21,437 of the cases considered resolved or recovered. The CBC tally puts coronavirus-related deaths at 3,279 in Canada and another two deaths of Canadians abroad.
Self-assessment and supports:
Alberta Health Services has an online self-assessment tool that you can use to determine if you have symptoms of 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 10 days from the onset of symptoms.
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, available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.
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.