COVID-19 Update: 1,123 new cases, 25 deaths | Third health-care worker dies from virus

With news on COVID-19 happening rapidly, we’ve created this page to bring you our latest stories and information on the outbreak in and around Calgary.

Masked Calgarians pass a mural of Popeye at the West Village construction site in downtown Calgary on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021.

© Provided by Calgary Herald
Masked Calgarians pass a mural of Popeye at the West Village construction site in downtown Calgary on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021.

What’s happening now

a close up of a newspaper: Numbers reported by Alberta Health on Wednesday, Jan. 6.

Numbers reported by Alberta Health on Wednesday, Jan. 6.

My COVID Story: How have you been impacted by coronavirus?

Postmedia is looking to speak with people who may have been impacted by the growing second wave of COVID-19 here in Alberta. Do you have a child or teen who caught COVID-19? Are you a front-line worker? Have you been immunized? Send us an email at [email protected] to tell us your experience, or send us a message via this form .

Read our ongoing coverage of personal stories arising from the pandemic.

Announcement on restrictions coming tomorrow: Kenney

Answering a question about the travel scandal, Kenney says he takes responsibility for not being “absolutely clear” that travelling was unacceptable. He hears the public anger.

“They are right to be angry with decisions of those in public trust who have travelled,” he says.

— Stephanie Babych (@BabychStephanie) January 7, 2021

Kenney says he hopes they can re-earn the trust from Albertans who are “rightly ticked off with what happened.”

— Stephanie Babych (@BabychStephanie) January 7, 2021

Asked about vaccines, Kenney says they need another shipment quickly because at the current pace they’ll be very low on supply within days. They’re through about 65% of their current supply, Kenney says.

— Stephanie Babych (@BabychStephanie) January 7, 2021

Kenney says the province isn’t out of the woods yet, one of the worst things they could do would be putting people on a “roller coaster” (with restrictions, no restrictions and back again). He says he wants it to be gradual path to fewer restrictions. We can’t broadly reopen now.

— Stephanie Babych (@BabychStephanie) January 7, 2021

Alberta short of year-end target for contact tracers; AHS cites logistical bottleneck

a sign on a pole: Alberta’s COVID-19 contact tracing app has only been used to track exposures 19 times since it was launched in May. There are approximately 268,000 registered users of ABTraceTogether. Taken on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020 in Edmonton.

© Greg Southam
Alberta’s COVID-19 contact tracing app has only been used to track exposures 19 times since it was launched in May. There are approximately 268,000 registered users of ABTraceTogether. Taken on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020 in Edmonton.

Alberta’s provincial health authority missed its target of having 1,600 COVID-19 contact tracers by the end of December, citing logistical challenges.

As of Wednesday, it had about 1,250 contact tracing staff working to track the source of COVID-19 transmissions and is still aiming to bring the number of staff to 1,600 over the next few weeks. By early February, it hopes to have over 2,000.

Two more cases of U.K. variant found in Alberta, no evidence of community spread

a man wearing a mask: A woman wears a mask to protect against COVID-19 while walking along 118 Avenue near 82 Street, in Edmonton Sunday Nov. 15, 2020.

© David Bloom David Bloom
A woman wears a mask to protect against COVID-19 while walking along 118 Avenue near 82 Street, in Edmonton Sunday Nov. 15, 2020.

Alberta has identified two more patients with the highly transmissable COVID-19 variant first seen in the U.K.

Alberta Health spokesman Tom McMillan said Wednesday both cases are linked to recent travellers who are now quarantining. There is no evidence that there is further spread of the virus in the community.

Coun. Farkas docks pay of staffer who travelled outside of Canada

While it is legal, Calgarian taxpayers should not be on the hook for my staff member to isolate. I stayed home for Christmas and did not see family. Regardless of others’ actions, I am responsible and accountable for my team. I am sorry. 2/2 #yyccc

— Jeromy Farkas (@JeromyYYC) January 6, 2021

Alberta reports the death of a health-care worker from COVID-19 for third consecutive day

a person walking down a city street: A masked pedestrian crosses the quiet street in Kensington on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021.

© Provided by Calgary Herald
A masked pedestrian crosses the quiet street in Kensington on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021.

A third Alberta health-care worker has passed away from COVID-19, according to Alberta Health on Wednesday.

This is the third consecutive day that Alberta has reported the death of a health-care worker from COVID-19. The health-care worker reported dead on Wednesday worked in the Calgary zone. They were not employed by Alberta Health Services, AHS said.

Politicians could face uphill battle in regaining public’s trust following travel scandal

Jason Kenney wearing a suit and tie: Premier Kenney and his UCP government under fire over Christmas travel.

© Provided by Calgary Herald
Premier Kenney and his UCP government under fire over Christmas travel.

As officials at both the provincial and municipal levels of government deal with the fallout of holiday travel scandals, gaining back public trust will depend on concrete actions to help Albertans cope with hardships caused by the pandemic, experts say.

“The public outrage is real. The sense of disappointment and disillusionment I don’t think is going to go away easily,” Mount Royal University political scientist David Taras said.

“What makes this situation different is it’s people’s lives and it is people’s livelihoods and the sense that these guidelines had to be respected in order to save people’s lives.”

1,123 new cases, 25 deaths

The provincial death toll now sits at 1,193. That is 25 more than yesterday.

There are 911 Albertan in hospital, including 141 patients requiring intensive care.#COVID19AB

— Stephanie Babych (@BabychStephanie) January 6, 2021

According to Alberta Health, 30,033 doses of vaccine have been given in the province — as of yesterday.

This is a little above what Health Minister Tyler Shandro predicted during yesterday’s press conference, he said it should be about 29,000 by end of day yesterday.#COVID19AB

— Stephanie Babych (@BabychStephanie) January 6, 2021

Taking a look at the 25 deaths announced today:

The 2 youngest were men in their 50s, from North zone & Edmonton zone.

7 of the deaths were in Calgary zone: 2 at Agecare Walden Heights, 2 at Agecare Skypointe, 1 at Intercare Southwood, 1 at Bethany Airdrie & 1 no outbreak.

— Stephanie Babych (@BabychStephanie) January 6, 2021

Condon: My family lost more than a loved one when my grandpa died of COVID

a person holding a dog: Olivia Condon with her grandfather Fred at Zoo Lights in 1997.

© Provided by Calgary Herald
Olivia Condon with her grandfather Fred at Zoo Lights in 1997.

Columnist Olivia Condon writes:

My grandpa died on Christmas morning. He’d been diagnosed with COVID-19 only a week prior.

It shocked us that the virus took him so quickly.

The nurses at his long-term care facility said he went peacefully in his sleep but their word is all we have.

He died alone. He wasn’t surrounded by the people he loved most or who loved him most.

That breaks my heart.

chart, line chart

© Provided by Calgary Herald

Lash extension business ordered to close

a group of people in a room: AHS inspectors ordered a lash extension business to stop providing its services during the pandemic.

© Provided by Calgary Herald
AHS inspectors ordered a lash extension business to stop providing its services during the pandemic.

AHS inspectors ordered an eyelash extension business to stop operating after finding the operators were still providing their services.

In a inspection report posted to the AHS website, Lashline YYC located at 6 Pantego Point N.W. was “offering eyelash extension services to the public despite the current prohibition to do so.”

The inspector’s report noted that providing eyelash extensions has been prohibited due to the possibility of spreading COVID-19.

The business must stop providing services until the Public Health Order is rescinded by Alberta Health Services.

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© Provided by Calgary Herald

Kids head back to school next week, but Alberta’s education minister ‘ready to make changes’ on Hinshaw’s advice

a group of people sitting at a table in a room: Empty classroom at an Edmonton school. File photo.

Empty classroom at an Edmonton school. File photo.

Kids are heading back to school next week, but plans could change depending on Alberta’s top doctor’s advice.

Nicole Sparrow, press secretary to education minister Adriana LaGrange, confirmed Tuesday in-person learning is set to resume Jan. 11 after the first week of class is completed online.

Sparrow said the delayed return was meant to reduce the impact of any exposures over the holidays. But the ministry is following the advice of Dr. Deena Hinshaw, chief medical officer of health, and they are “ready to make changes” to the re-entry plan if needed.

The fast-spreading mutant COVID-19 strain is a ‘2021 nightmare’: researchers

a close up of a busy city street: A man stands near a bus stop in the nearly deserted financial district of London on Jan. 5, 2021.

© Matt Dunham
A man stands near a bus stop in the nearly deserted financial district of London on Jan. 5, 2021.

A mutated COVID-19 virus capable of spreading more easily and quickly that has plunged England and Scotland into bleak new national lockdowns is gaining a foothold in Canada. Will it do here what it has done in the United Kingdom — and rapidly overtake the current circulating strain?

Ontario on Monday confirmed three new cases of the “super-contagious” viral variant officially known as B. 1. 1. 7, bringing the province’s total to six cases, all tied to travel outside the country. British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec have reported one confirmed case each.

2/2 To date, jurisdictions have reported 11 travel-related cases of a #COVID19 variant virus that was first reported in the UK and no reports of any other variants of concern, including a variant first reported in South Africa.

— Dr. Theresa Tam (@CPHO_Canada) January 6, 2021