Alberta Chief Medical Officer of Health – “Get used to a new normal!”

The Doctor reminds everyone that Alberta Health recommends no travel outside of the country and anyone returning to the country needs to self-isolate. She expects new cases will appear regularly for a couple months and Albertans should get used to a “new normal.”

Hinshaw specifically noted the concern of parents who have children in kindergarten to grade twelve.

“Given the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, we know parents, students, and school officials are very concerned. I want to assure all Albertans that their children’s safety is top of mind in all our decisions, and we are making the best public health decisions we can with the information we have, in this rapidly developing situation. We are prepared to make changes, if and when, the situation warrants it.”

The Doctor noted her own children were still attending school and if she wasn’t comfortable with that situation, she wouldn’t her children or the children of any other parent to attend school. She also stipulated that if schools were to be closed, they would not likely reopen until September.

The following is specific information issued by Alberta Health on Saturday

School update

A conference call was held today with the chief medical officer of health and more than 500 representatives from Alberta’s school boards, school authorities, and education stakeholders.

On March 13, Alberta recommended that schools remain open at this time. The World Health Organization does not recommend school closures as the only way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in children.

Alberta continues to monitor the province’s situation carefully. If the situation warrants it, the Alberta government could direct the closure of an individual school, a group of schools, an entire school division, or all schools in the province. This would be a decision of Cabinet’s emergency management committee.

In meantime, all schools should take steps to protect the health of students and staff:

— eliminate large gatherings of students

— ensure no more than 250 people are in the same room at any given time

— consider cancelling extracurricular activities that involve physical contact

A new guide has been developed to help schools and daycares reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19. The guide is available at alberta.ca/COVID19.

We will continue to update this document based on feedback received from education stakeholders.

Flight Information

There are more and more flights with passengers confirmed to have the virus. Albertans should self-monitor their air travel, so that public health officials can use their time to trace other contacts. Those who have recently returned to Alberta via a flight, are encouraged to visit alberta.ca/COVID19 for flight information and to self-isolate if found to be at risk of exposure.

Government will be posting flight information that includes the flight number, date and any seats on the flight that might be at risk of exposure to COVID-19. Passengers in affected seats are encouraged to self-isolate for 14 days after arrival in Canada and monitor for symptoms. Other passengers are not required to self-isolate but should monitor for symptoms as a precaution.

Certain professions may be exempt from travel restrictions. Any exemptions are being determined on a case-by-case basis after consultation with industry stakeholders. At this time, flight attendants and pilots are exempted from travel recommendations, provided they practice good hygiene and take precautions to limit their risk.

Updated resources

— Flight information is posted under the “Info for Albertans” section.

— The new guide for schools and child care programs has been posted under “Info for schools and child care centres.”

— A new information sheet on mass gatherings, including risk mitigation strategies, has been posted under “Public health restrictions on mass gatherings.”

— Information posters are available under “Resources” for organizations and businesses to distribute.

— Alberta Health Services has launched an online self-assessment tool to help Albertans determine whether they should get tested for COVID-19. Over 100,000 Albertans completed self-assessments within the first 24 hours.

Quick facts

— Alberta’s Provincial Operations Centre in Edmonton elevated from a level 2 to a level 3 – out of a possible 4. Level 3 indicates an increased amount of cross-government coordination through the Alberta Emergency Management Agency.

— The most important measures that Albertans can take to prevent respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, is to practise good hygiene.

— This includes cleaning your hands regularly for at least 20 seconds, avoiding touching your face, coughing or sneezing into your elbow or sleeve, disposing of tissues appropriately, and staying home and away from others if you are sick.

— Anyone who has health concerns or is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should contact Health Link 811 to see if follow up testing is required.

— For recommendations on protecting yourself and your community, visit alberta.ca/COVID19.

Related information

You can view the entier news conference on YouTube:

by Dori Modney with files from the Alberta Government

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