Dr. Deena Hinshaw

By Connor Gunn

Province changing requirements for COVID cases in vaccinated Albertans

Jul 28, 2021 | 4:02 PM

EDMONTON, AB – After a month-long halt on doing live COVID-19 updates, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw, gave an update Wednesday on the pandemic in Alberta.

As the pandemic is shifting in the province, so do the rules.

With vaccination efforts increasing every day, Hinshaw says criteria and what to do if you test positive for the virus is going to change.

Over the past 24 hours, 194 new cases were confirmed in Alberta and Hinshaw says nearly all of the new cases being reported are in unvaccinated people.

To be exact, since July 1 in Alberta 95% of all COVID-19 cases, 94% of hospitalizations, and 95% of deaths have been people who were not fully immunized.

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Alberta will bring COVID-19 quarantine, isolation, and other measures in line with those used for influenza and other viruses.

Though there are changes, testing for severe cases, provincial monitoring, outbreak management in high-risk settings, and other key measures will remain in place.

The province will take a two-step approach at changing rules for quarantine, close contacts, Outbreak management, and masking.

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.

For more information on the changing COVID requirements, go to COVID-19 info for Albertans.