Photo Credit: Government of Alberta

By Josh Hall (rdnewsNOW)

COVID measures rolled back

Major changes coming to testing, isolation and contact tracing for COVID-19 in Alberta

Jul 28, 2021 | 4:34 PM

Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the province’s chief medical officer of health, announced Wednesday that as of Aug. 16, Albertans who test positive for COVID-19 will no longer be legally required to isolate, though it will be strongly recommended.

Giving a live update for the first time in weeks, Hinshaw also announced that contact tracing will only take place in high-risk scenarios, and masks will no longer be required on transit or in taxis.

Testing is also expected to ramp down towards the end of August, with tests becoming available only in hospitals and doctor offices.

Hinshaw also acknowledged Wednesday that a recent increase in active cases has caused anxiety for some.

“Cases have risen recently, almost entirely in those who have not been vaccinated, as we expected would likely happen as people came in close contact with each other again,” said Hinshaw, urging that having two vaccine doses has never been more important.

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“The Delta variant spreads more easily and the second dose is critical for protection,” said Hinshaw. “While COVID-19 cases may rise in the coming weeks and months, a surge of hospitalizations and other severe outcomes is much less thanks to vaccines.”

Hinshaw shared that 95 per cent of new COVID-19 cases since July 1 are in people who are not fully vaccinated. The same goes for 94 per cent of hospitalizations since July 1, and 95 per cent of deaths.

Hinshaw also put out a “call to arms” for everyone to get vaccinated.

Alberta has delivered 5,260,033 vaccine doses as of July 27. 75.6 per cent of Alberta’s eligible 12+ population has received at least one dose (64.3% total population), and 64.3 per cent of those eligible are fully vaccinated (54.7% total population).

The following changes will be effective July 29:

• Quarantine for close contacts will shift from mandatory to recommended. Isolation for anyone with COVID-19 symptoms and for confirmed positive cases is still required.
• Unimmunized individuals who know they have been exposed to COVID-19 should monitor for symptoms and seek testing if they become symptomatic.
• Anyone who is not fully immunized should avoid high-risk locations such as continuing care facilities and crowded indoor spaces if they have been in contact with a case in the past 14 days.
• All positive cases will continue to be notified. Contact tracers will no longer notify close contacts of exposure. Individuals are asked to inform their close contacts when informed of their positive result.
  • Contact tracers will continue to investigate cases that are in high-risk settings such as acute and continuing care facilities.
  • Outbreak management and identification will focus on high-risk locations, including continuing and acute care facilities and high-risk workplaces. Community outbreaks with a surge in cases leading to severe outcomes will also be addressed as needed.
• Asymptomatic testing is no longer recommended. Testing will continue to be available for individuals who are symptomatic.
• Mandatory masking remains in acute and continuing care facilities, publicly accessible transit, taxis and ride-share.

The following changes will take effect on Aug. 16:

• Provincial mandatory masking orders will be lifted. Some masking in acute care or continuing care facilities may still be required.
• Isolation following a positive COVID-19 test result will no longer be required, but strongly recommended.
• Individuals with symptoms of any respiratory infection should still remain at home until symptoms have resolved.
• Staying home when sick remains an important way to care for those around us by not passing on any infection.
• Isolation hotels and quarantine support will no longer be available.
• Testing will be available for Albertans with symptoms when it is needed to help direct patient care decisions.
• This testing will be available through assessment centres until Aug. 31 and, after that, will be in primary care settings including physicians’ offices. For those with severe illness requiring urgent or emergency care, testing will be available in acute care and hospital settings.

COVID-19 testing will also be offered as needed in high-risk outbreaks such as in continuing care facilities.

• Public health will focus on investigating severe cases that require hospitalization and any deaths due to COVID-19.
• Outbreak management and preventative measures will continue focusing on outbreaks in high-risk settings, such as continuing and acute care facilities.

• Community outbreaks will continue to be addressed as needed.
• Daycares and schools will be supported with measures that would be effective for any respiratory virus if outbreaks are identified.

A full list of details on the new measures can be found on the Alberta website.

COVID-19 update

The City of Grande Prairie is now up to 18 active cases of COVID-19, an increase of nine from the July 26 update last posted on EverythingGP.

Numbers in the County of Grande Prairie remained stable over the last two days at eight active.

Alberta added 194 new cases of COVID-19 for July 27, there are 1,334 active cases in the province. There were 7,129 tests completed, resulting in a 2.7 per cent test positivity rate.

Updated case totals among Peace Region municipalities as of July 28 are as follows:

• City of Grande Prairie: 3,977 cases (18 active, 3,930 recovered, 29 deaths)
• County of Grande Prairie: 1,422 cases (eight active, 1,409 recovered, five deaths)
• M.D. of Greenview: 595 cases (one active, 590 recovered, four deaths)
• Birch Hills County: 33 cases (all recovered)
• M.D. of Spirit River: 81 cases (all recovered)
• Saddle Hills County: 31 cases (all recovered)
• M.D. of Smoky River: 151 cases (one active, 140 recovered, 10 deaths)
• Big Lakes County: 733 cases (four active, 716 recovered, 13 deaths)
• M.D. of Lesser Slave River: 380 cases (one active, 377 recovered, two deaths)
• M.D. of Peace: 703 cases (one active, 702 recovered)
• M.D. of Fairview: 144 cases (142 recovered, two deaths)
• Clear Hills County: 136 cases (135 recovered, one death)
• Northern Sunrise County: 311 cases (310 recovered, one death)
• County of Northern Lights: 136 cases (all recovered)
• Mackenzie County: 1,946 cases (four active, 1,893 recovered, 26 deaths)

Hospitalizations

Across the province, 84 people are in hospital, while there are 18 patients in an ICU.

In the North Zone, six people are in hospital, while nobody is in the ICU.

COVID-19 Vaccinations

In Grande Prairie, 57.1 per cent of the eligible population has been given at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 47 per cent of the population has been fully vaccinated.

Across Alberta, 75.6 per cent of the eligible population has been given at least one dose and 64.3 per cent have been fully vaccinated.