Premier says full reopening in Albertans’ hands, second dose rollout accelerated

There are 71,000 first-dose bookings in the next seven days, “but we need 100,000,” Kenney said about reaching the 70 per cent threshold. As of Thursday, the province is at 67.2 per cent.

The premier did not definitively answer whether he would hold firm on the province reaching 70 per cent before moving to Stage 3, referring the answer to the chief medical officer of heath.

Dr. Deena Hinshaw said many factors, including second-dose protection, will be a part of the decision. Seventy per cent first-dose vaccination is the preferred measure, though she said.

Kenney said the province is looking at incentives to encourage people to get vaccinated including a possible lottery.

Alberta is opening walk-in, first-dose vaccine clinics this week, including in Medicine Hat and Brooks.

The province is also speeding up its efforts to get Albertans their second dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

Effective immediately, all Albertans who got their first dose in April or earlier, about 650,000 people, can book a second dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

Appointments can be booked through the AHS website, by calling 811 or through participating pharmacies and physician clinics.

Those who received a first dose of AstraZeneca can book a second appointment for AstraZeneca by going to the online AHS booking site, calling 811 or going to a participating pharmacy listed on the Alberta Blue Cross website. Alternatively they can book a second appointment for an mRNA vaccine through participating pharmacies or AHS.

Hinshaw getting vaccinated can literally save your life and the lives of those around you.

“While one dose is a good first step, two doses are even better,” the chief medical officer of health said. “As we continue to face COVID-19 and its emerging variants, the sooner we can get everyone fully immunized the better.”

She said evidence for Alberta shows an 18 per cent jump in protection from first to second dose when it comes to the B.117 variant, which is currently the dominant strain in the province.

Alberta Health Services wants Albertans who were vaccinated outside the province or country to provide records. People can bring a copy of their immunization records to one of the 141 AHS public health clinics located throughout the province to have their immunization record updated.

You can also contact 811 for help to locate the nearest option or determining what information needs to be submitted.

Hinshaw said she will be taking next week off and live updates will return the following week. Online data will continue to be updated each day.

There are 35 active cases of COVID-19 in Medicine Hat on Thursday.

Medicine Hat now has had 1,246 total cases – the 35 active, 1,189 recovered and there have been 22 deaths.

There are two new cases in the city today and six new recoveries.

One of the new infections was identified at George Davison school.

Medicine Hat School District 76 says some students and staff were directed to quarantine, and all close contacts were identified.

George Davison school is On Alert status, but remains open.

55.8 per cent of Hatters have received at least one dose of vaccine.

Across Alberta, there are 3,810 active cases, down 394 from Wednesday, and 223,877 recovered cases, up 566.

Alberta’s total cases from the start of the pandemic is 229,949.

There are 178 total new cases in the province today. Of those, 138 cases were identified as variants of concern.

There are now 306 Albertans in hospital with COVID-19, 81 of which are in ICU, and 2,262 deaths.

The province completed 5,501 tests in the past 24 hours.

The positivity rate is about 3.3 per cent.

Alberta has administered 3,215,144 doses of vaccine at the latest update.

There are 174 active cases and 12,114 recovered in the South Zone. The death total in the zone is at 131.

An AHS spokesperson told CHAT News on Thursday AHS South Zone currently has 20 COVID-19 positive individuals in hospital. There are 13 at Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge, with three of those in the ICU. Medicine Hat Regional Hospital has six inpatients, with one of those in the ICU. The Brooks Health Centre has one inpatient.

The province-wide reproductive value from last week is 0.74. It is 0.73 in Calgary Zone, 0.75 in Edmonton Zone and 0.73 in the rest of Alberta. These figures are updated each Monday.

St. Francis Xavier School is on AHS Outbreak status.

Regionally, Brooks Composite High School and Eastbrook Elementary School in Brooks are on Outbreak status. St. Joseph’s Collegiate in Brooks is on Alert status.

Schools remain on Outbreak and Alert status until there is no new confirmed case for 28 days.

Cypress County has totaled 295 cases – seven active cases, 287 recovered. The county’s first death was reported today. The vaccination rate for all ages is 46.1 per cent.

The County of Forty Mile has 157 total cases. There are two active cases, 152 recovered and there have been three deaths. The vaccination rate for all ages is 27.2 per cent.

The MD of Taber has 571 total cases — three active cases, 562 recovered and there have been six deaths. The vaccination rate for all ages is 33.4 per cent.

Special Areas No. 2 has 103 total cases – six active cases, 96 recovered and there has been one death.

Brooks has 1,499 total cases — 14 active cases and 1,470 are recovered. Brooks has recorded 15 deaths.

The County of Newell has a total of 240 cases — 15 active cases, 223 recovered and there have been two deaths. The vaccination rate for all ages is 44 per cent, including Brooks.

The County of Warner has 464 total cases. There are 11 active cases, 450 are recovered cases and there have been three deaths in the county. The latest vaccination rate for all ages is 41.5 per cent.

The City of Lethbridge has a total of 4,826 cases. There are 46 active cases, 4,742 recovered and there have been 38 deaths. Lethbridge County has 1,253 cases, 20 active cases, 1,221 recovered and there have been 12 deaths.

Not all the areas on the vaccination data map match the case count map.

The figures on alberta.ca are “up-to-date as of end of day June 9, 2021.”

Read the full June 10 update from the province here.

Saskatchewan has a total of 47,668 cases, 902 considered active. There are 46,213 recovered cases and there have been 553 COVID-19 deaths in the province.

Saskatchewan has delivered 845,439 doses of vaccine.

by Chris Brown

Premier says full reopening in Albertans’ hands, second dose rollout accelerated

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