No decisions this week on relaxing restrictions to Step 2

Provincially, 324 patients are currently hospitalized including 53 who have been admitted to intensive care.

Hospitalizations are the key benchmark by which the government is basing its new “stepped-approach” to relaxing COVID-19 restrictions.

Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw has some disappointing news for those who were hoping to see those restrictions relaxed this week.

“We are below the Step 2 threshold of hospitalizations, but we have seen growing cases in recent days. With that in mind, we will be taking the full three weeks to assess the data and assess the best way forward.”

“No decisions on moving to Step 2 will be made prior to March 1st at the earliest.”

The threshold for moving to Step 2 is having fewer than 450 hospitalizations, which Alberta achieved over a week ago.

Moving to Step 2 would see an easing of restrictions for retail, banquet halls, community halls, conference centres, hotels, and a further easing for indoor fitness and children’s play activities.

Despite Hinshaw’s declaration, she shared a few slides showing that the province is making progress on mitigating the spread of the virus.

“With pressure easing on the health system and more vaccines arriving each day, we are making progress, but we must continue to contain the spread of this virus for a little while longer. We have come far but we have more work to do. Cases in the province will rise or fall based on the actions that each of us takes in the days and weeks ahead.”

(Alberta Health Services)

Today’s COVID-19 update also mentions that another 6,062 tests were completed over the past day. That means a total of 3,362,786 tests have been conducted on 1,806,305 different people.

173,539 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the province as of the end of February 21. Approximately 69,000 people have received the recommended two doses.

Hinshaw confirmed that, since yesterday’s update, 11 new cases of COVID-19 variants were confirmed in Alberta. None were in the South Zone.

COVID-19 variant cases in Alberta. (Alberta Health Services)

Below is a graph of how COVID-19 cases in Alberta have trended since the start of the pandemic, which can also be accessed with more detail here.

COVID-19 trends in Alberta since the start of the pandemic. (Alberta Health Services)

Below is a breakdown of cases per regional health zone:

Edmonton Zone – 53,180 cases, 1,028 active
- 96 in hospital, 16 in ICU
- 951 deaths (nine new)
Calgary Zone – 50,400 cases, 1,665 active
- 118 in hospital, 17 in ICU
- 569 deaths (three new)
North Zone – 11,351 cases, 859 active
- 44 in hospital, one in ICU
- 133 deaths (two new)
Central Zone – 9,926 cases, 352 active
- 31 in hospital, 10 in ICU
- 104 deaths (one new)
South Zone – 6,367 cases, 352 active
- 31 in hospital, 10 in ICU
- 86 deaths (one new)

Below is a breakdown of cases in the South Health Zone:

Brooks – 1,362 cases, zero active, 14 deaths
Lethbridge – 2,019 cases, 214 active, 20 deaths
- West Lethbridge – 690 cases, 51 active, two deaths
- South Lethbridge – 688 cases, 59 active, 16 deaths
- North Lethbridge – 640 cases, 104 active, two deaths
Cardston County – 587 cases, 70 active, 10 deaths
Medicine Hat – 551 cases, 21 active, 15 deaths (one new)
Lethbridge County – 534 cases, 16 active, seven deaths
M.D. of Taber – 337 cases, five active, six deaths
M.D. of Pincher Creek – 216 cases, 19 active, four deaths
County of Warner – 162 cases, four active, two deaths
County of Newell – 158 cases, zero active, two deaths
Cypress County – 145 cases, two active, zero deaths
County of Forty Mile – 117 cases, zero active, two deaths
Fort Macleod – 96 cases, one active, four deaths
Crowsnest Pass – 24 cases, zero active, zero deaths

by David Opinko

No decisions this week on relaxing restrictions to Step 2

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