While Airdrie is still considered a hotspot in the province for its rate of COVID-19 cases, there has been a notable decline in reported infections lately, with a total of 487 active cases in the region as of May 19 – a drop of 135 cases from May 16.
According to numbers updated daily on airdrie.ca, there have been a total of 3,672 cases of the virus locally since the pandemic began. Of those, 3,168 people have recovered and 17 deaths have been reported.
COVID-19 UPDATES: See the latest local and global COVID-19 information.
The decline in active cases coincides with a growing proportion of Albertans who have accepted their first-dose of the COVID-19 vaccination, leading the Province to reconsider the required quarantine period for Albertans who have been inoculated.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, announced during her daily update on May 20 that there will be two changes to quarantine requirements; one for close contacts who are fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, and one for close contacts who have only had one dose.
"While vaccines don't erase all possibility of infection, the data shows the vaccine reduces the amount of virus in the person's body even if someone does get infected, which further reduces the risk of transmission," she said.
Currently, Albertans are legally required to quarantine for 14 days when they are a close contact of a COVID-19 case. Hinshaw said that fully vaccinated individuals who have had their second does of vaccine at least two weeks prior are no longer required to quarantine at all if they are exposed to a confirmed positive case.
"To be clear, if a fully vaccinated individual is experiencing any symptoms, even minor ones, they will still be required to isolate and go for testing," she added.
For those who have only received one dose of the vaccine, she said that they will have a shortened quarantine period for those in close contact with a confirmed case – from 14 days to 10 days for close contacts who have no symptoms.
She added these changes will not apply to Albertans who have returned from international travel, as they will still be required to comply with a 14-day quarantine period as required by the federal Quarantine Act.
"This new quarantine approach within the province will mean less disruption for families, workplaces, and schools, while still preventing the spread of COVID-19," she said. "Most importantly, it only applies to those who have received the vaccine. For those who have not gotten any doses, there is no change to the 14-day quarantine period."
She added that work is underway to create a plan outlining when the easing of public health restrictions will be put in place, as vaccine coverage increases in the population.
Province-wide, there have been 2,312,821 doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered as of May 19. According to the government figures, 44.2 per cent of the province's population has received at least one dose of the vaccination. Only 7.5 per cent of the population have been fully immunized with both doses.
Locally, Airdrie has had 36 per cent of its population vaccinated, or 27,367 people.
New cases
Alberta reported 812 new infections on May 20. With 9,038 tests completed, the test positivity rate was 9.3 per cent. The new cases mean there are currently 17,675 active cases in the province, with 665 hospitalizations and 177 ICU admissions. According to the government's data, 2,162 deaths from COVID-19 have been reported since the pandemic began, with 1,253 of those reported in long-term care facilities or supportive/home living sites.
COVID-19 UPDATES: See the latest local and global COVID-19 information.
Beginning on May 25, Kindergarten to Grade 12 students across Alberta will be returning to in-person learning. There are currently confirmed cases at 18 schools across Airdrie, according to the provincial COVID-19 status map. Four local schools are reporting outbreaks of 10 or more cases, eight are reporting outbreaks of five to nine cases and six are reporting two to four cases each. For a full breakdown of Airdrie schools with COVID-19 infections, visit this link.
Provincial data
In terms of the more contagious COVID-19 variants of concern, the provincial total currently sits at 4,419 active cases. There were 812 new variant cases reported on May 19.
Province-wide, Alberta recorded an R value of 0.84 last week. The R value, also known as the reproduction number, describes whether cases are currently increasing, decreasing or staying the same. According to Alberta.ca, the value indicates the average number of people that someone with COVID-19 will infect.
Here is a province-wide breakdown of Alberta's R value from May 10 to 16:
- Alberta provincewide: 0.84 (0.82-0.86)
- Edmonton Zone: 0.86 (0.82-0.89)
- Calgary Zone: 0.82 (0.80-0.84)
- Rest of Alberta: 0.85 (0.83-0.88)
