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Alberta

COVID19 spreading events – Premier Kenney asks Calgary and Edmonton residents to stop hosting gatherings

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From the Province of Alberta

Strong public health measures are being implemented to protect the health system and limit the spread of COVID-19.

Expanded mandatory and voluntary limits on social gatherings are now in place to help reduce growing caseloads.

New COVID-19 measures

  • Effective immediately, new mandatory and voluntary public health measures will help protect the health system and limit the spread of COVID-19.
    • All Edmonton and Calgary residents should stop holding social gatherings within their homes and instead socialize in structured settings where it is easier to limit risk of exposure.
    • The mandatory 15-person limit on social gatherings is being expanded to all communities on the watch list.
    • Voluntary measures to limit cohorts to no more than three and to wear masks in the workplace unless able to safely distance are also strongly recommended for any community on the watch list, regardless of location.
  • Additional measures to bolster Alberta’s public health response:
    • AHS is prioritizing the hiring of about 380 additional contact tracing staff that will expand the contact tracing team to more than 1,100 people.
    • To support contact tracing, all Albertans should download ABTraceTogether, Alberta’s contact tracing app.
  • Alberta will also be shifting back to daily reporting of case numbers and information, including on weekends and holidays.

Latest updates

  • To date, 24,684 Albertans have recovered from COVID-19.
  • There are currently 6,822 active cases in the province.
  • Over the last 48 hours:
    • 802 new cases were identified on Nov. 4
    • 609 new cases were identified on Nov. 5
  • Alberta labs have now performed 1,869,192 tests on 1,305,540 people.
  • There were nine additional deaths since Nov. 3, bringing the total number of COVID-19 deaths to 352.
  • All zones across the province have cases:
    • Calgary Zone: 2,886 active cases and 10,966 recovered
    • South Zone: 398 active cases and 2,216 recovered
    • Edmonton Zone: 2,819 active cases and 8,713 recovered
    • North Zone: 431 active cases and 1,821 recovered
    • Central Zone: 255 active cases and 914 recovered
    • 33 active cases and 54 recovered cases in zones to be confirmed
    • Additional information, including case totals, is online.
  • There are 392 active cases and 1,631 recovered cases at continuing care facilities; 221 facility residents have died.
  • School case information will be updated on Monday.

Updated contact tracing approach

  • Alberta is piloting a targeted contact testing approach. This will make contact tracing faster and focus on populations at greatest risk of illness and further spreading COVID-19.
  • Alberta Health Services will directly notify close contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases in three priority groups only:
    • health-care workers
    • minors (parents will still be notified if their child has been exposed in a school setting)
    • individuals who live or work within congregate or communal facilities
  • AHS will no longer directly notify close contacts outside of these three priority groups, at this time.
  • Albertans outside the priority groups who test positive will be asked to notify their own close contacts.
  • AHS will continue to directly notify all positive cases of COVID-19 of their result, identify priority contacts that AHS will notify, and provide the case with guidance on notifying their own contacts.

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Alberta

Made in Alberta! Province makes it easier to support local products with Buy Local program

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Show your Alberta side. Buy Local.

When the going gets tough, Albertans stick together. That’s why Alberta’s government is launching a new campaign to benefit hard-working Albertans.

Global uncertainty is threatening the livelihoods of hard-working Alberta farmers, ranchers, processors and their families. The ‘Buy Local’ campaign, recently launched by Alberta’s government, encourages consumers to eat, drink and buy local to show our unified support for the province’s agriculture and food industry.

The government’s ‘Buy Local’ campaign encourages consumers to buy products from Alberta’s hard-working farmers, ranchers and food processors that produce safe, nutritious food for Albertans, Canadians and the world.

“It’s time to let these hard-working Albertans know we have their back. Now, more than ever, we need to shop local and buy made-in-Alberta products. The next time you are grocery shopping or go out for dinner or a drink with your friends or family, support local to demonstrate your Alberta pride. We are pleased tariffs don’t impact the ag industry right now and will keep advocating for our ag industry.”

RJ Sigurdson, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation

Alberta’s government supports consumer choice. We are providing tools to help folks easily identify Alberta- and Canadian-made foods and products. Choosing local products keeps Albertans’ hard-earned dollars in our province. Whether it is farm-fresh vegetables, potatoes, honey, craft beer, frozen food or our world-renowned beef, Alberta has an abundance of fresh foods produced right on our doorstep.

Quick facts

  • This summer, Albertans can support local at more than 150 farmers’ markets across the province and meet the folks who make, bake and grow our food.
  • In March 2023, the Alberta government launched the ‘Made in Alberta’ voluntary food and beverage labelling program to support local agriculture and food sectors.
  • Through direct connections with processors, the program has created the momentum to continue expanding consumer awareness about the ‘Made in Alberta’ label to help shoppers quickly identify foods and beverages produced in our province.
  • Made in Alberta product catalogue website

 

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Alberta

Province to expand services provided by Alberta Sheriffs: New policing option for municipalities

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Expanding municipal police service options

Proposed amendments would help ensure Alberta’s evolving public safety needs are met while also giving municipalities more options for local policing.

As first announced with the introduction of the Public Safety Statutes Amendment Act, 2024, Alberta’s government is considering creating a new independent agency police service to assume the police-like duties currently performed by Alberta Sheriffs. If passed, Bill 49 would lay additional groundwork for the new police service.

Proposed amendments to the Police Act recognize the unique challenges faced by different communities and seek to empower local governments to adopt strategies that effectively respond to their specific safety concerns, enhancing overall public safety across the province.

If passed, Bill 49 would specify that the new agency would be a Crown corporation with an independent board of directors to oversee its day-to-day operations. The new agency would be operationally independent from the government, consistent with all police services in Alberta. Unlike the Alberta Sheriffs, officers in the new police service would be directly employed by the police service rather than by the government.

“With this bill, we are taking the necessary steps to address the unique public safety concerns in communities across Alberta. As we work towards creating an independent agency police service, we are providing an essential component of Alberta’s police framework for years to come. Our aim is for the new agency is to ensure that Albertans are safe in their communities and receive the best possible service when they need it most.”

Mike Ellis, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services

Additional amendments would allow municipalities to select the new agency as their local police service once it becomes fully operational and the necessary standards, capacity and frameworks are in place. Alberta’s government is committed to ensuring the new agency works collaboratively with all police services to meet the province’s evolving public safety needs and improve law enforcement response times, particularly in rural communities. While the RCMP would remain the official provincial police service, municipalities would have a new option for their local policing needs.

Once established, the agency would strengthen Alberta’s existing policing model and complement the province’s current police services, which include the RCMP, Indigenous police services and municipal police. It would help fill gaps and ensure law enforcement resources are deployed efficiently across the province.

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