What you need to know about COVID-19 in Alberta on Wednesday, May 6
Plenty of questions as target date for reopening some businesses approaches
The latest:
- Take a look inside the slaughterhouse at the centre of North America's largest single outbreak.
- 15 employees test positive for COVID-19 at Midtown Co-op in Calgary.
- A second death has been linked to the Cargill slaughterhouse outbreak.
- Millrise seniors' home had signs of trouble before COVID-19 outbreak.
- Alberta confirmed 70 new cases on Wednesday, continuing a string of new case numbers in the double-digits. There are a total of 5,963 cases in the province and 3,552 people have recovered.
- Six more people died, for a total of 112 deaths.
- Advocate says parents being kept from their children in government care due to pandemic.
- School leaders are starting to envision what pandemic-era classes will look like.
- Alberta reported 2 more deaths and 57 new cases on Tuesday.
What you need to know today in Alberta:
There is plenty of discussion about what comes next in the province. Will some businesses actually reopen on May 14? Will that date still hold, or will cases rise? What will it be like to eat at a restaurant or go for a haircut? What will schools look like if they reopen in the fall?
Calgary's mayor said on Tuesday that businesses should do what feels right for them and not feel compelled to open on a specified date, noting Calgary has been harder hit than other areas of the province. Some businesses have already made public statements that they feel it would be too early.
Watch: COVID-19: How cities might change to allow for physical distancing.
The number of new cases in the province fell for the fourth straight day on Tuesday afternoon and the province said it would increase testing in order to have a better understanding of the situations as reopen dates approach.
We're also getting a glimpse into some of the facilities at the centre of outbreaks, including Millrise Seniors Village in Calgary and the Cargill plant near High River, site of North America's largest single outbreak.
Another death linked to the Cargill plant was revealed on Wednesday.
The breakdown of cases as of Wednesday was:
- Calgary zone: 4,003.
- South zone: 1,111.
- Edmonton zone: 503.
- North zone: 229.
- Central zone: 91.
- Unknown: 26.
What you need to know today in Canada:
A small number of MPs will sit in the House of Commons today and are expected to grill the government over what they perceive as deficiencies in the Liberals' pandemic response, particularly Tuesday's announcement of $252 million for the agri-food sector — far less than the $2.6 billion asked for by the Canadian Federation of Agriculture.
Watch: Will there be a second lockdown?
The Conservatives, meanwhile, have been focused on the $2,000 per month Canada Emergency Response Benefit, arguing it provides a disincentive to work. On the opposite side, the New Democrats are pushing for a universal benefit available to everyone hurt by the pandemic.
As of 7 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Canada had 62,046 confirmed and presumptive coronavirus cases. Provinces and territories listed 27,006 of those cases as recovered or resolved.
A CBC News tally based on provincial data, local public health information and CBC's reporting listed a total of 4,166 COVID-19-related deaths in Canada, with 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.
Watch: Is airborne transmission possible?
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.