Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw gave her 245th COVID-19 update. The doctor will no longer be providing regularly scheduled media availabilities now that case numbers are in decline and the province is now lifting most restrictions. 

As schools are wrapping up, the school map of COVID-19 outbreaks and cases will be removed from the website on Friday, July 2. Additionally, the province will be shifting Alberta’s vaccine data slightly to align with other provinces and territories in Canada. 

“To bring our numbers in line and to allow for appropriate comparisons across the country, we will now be using the July 2020 Statistics Can data as well. This means that as of today, 72.7% of eligible Albertans have now gotten at least one dose, and 40.7 are fully immunized. It also means that the percentages in most regions will increase slightly due to this new denominator,” said Hinshaw. 

Hinshaw noted that COVID-19 will still be apart of the lives of Albertans as those who are under the age 12 remain unvaccinated and at risk for COVID-19. She hopes the families with young Albertans continue to consider the benefits and risks for each activity. 

“All of us will need to make decisions in the next several months about how we weigh COVID-19 risks against the benefits of different options for us and for our children. Kids under 12 have the lowest risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19, and this fact is one we need to incorporate into our deliberations. Each family will need to make the decisions that are right for them. There is no one single perfect answer,” said Hinshaw. 

Alberta Health Services will continue to offer COVID-19 testing for anyone who may have symptoms and investigate cases. Masks will still be necessary in healthcare settings. As always, it remains important that Albertans stay home if they are unwell. Hinshaw noted that Alberta Health Services will continue to watch numbers closely and act as needed in the future if needed. 

The doctor continues to rely on the effectiveness of vaccinations in keeping Albertans safe as variants of the virus remain in some communities. 

“I think we’ve all adopted habits that help us feel safe and have kept us safe. These are the kind of measures that have gotten us through to this point and this next several months is absolutely a transition time what I would say to people who are feeling nervous who are wondering what is going to happen. Will Delta spread? Will this opening cause COVID-19 to surge again? I would say first of all, that it is okay to experience a multitude of emotions it’s okay to be worried and anxious and excited sometimes all at the same time. What we all need to do is again watch the data and look closely what we’re seeing from other countries to know that vaccines are incredibly powerful,” said Hinshaw. 

She hopes Albertans continue to be compassionate for each other as people take the precautions that they need to feel safe. 

June 29th new case numbers:

  • 61 new cases of the virus for June 28th
  • 1,132 active cases in Alberta
  • 170 people are hospitalized
  • 36 people admitted to ICUs
  • 4 new deaths reported in the last 24 hours
  • 2,299 total deaths from the virus

Active case numbers in the Central Alberta area:

  • 4 active cases in the City of Lacombe
  • 0 active cases in the County of Lacombe
  • 29 active cases in the City of Red Deer
  • 8 active cases in the County of Red Deer
  • 16 active cases in the County of Ponoka
  • 8 active cases in the Town of Sylvan Lake
  • 2 active cases in the County of Stettler
  • 1 active cases in the County of Mountain View

**Not all cases in the Central Zone have been included.