In the past 24 hrs, there have been 7,911 COVID-19 tests completed, from that there have been 49 new confirmed cases of the virus. With these new tests that brings the total number of tests performed in Alberta to 364,729.

In Alberta currently, there are 489 active cases reported of COVID-19. To date 152 Albertans have died due to COVID-19, of those 152 Albertans, 162 were from continuing care facilities.

As the province moves forward the hospitalization rates remaining low with 34 people currently in the hospital with six of those being in the ICU.

Wheatland County is currently reporting 5 cases with 2 active and 3 reported as recovered. In total Alberta has seen 6,938 people recover from COVID-19.

Meantime, Minister of Health Tyler Shandro has introduced Bill 24 in the legislature. The COVID-19 Pandemic Response Statutes Amendment Act includes amendments to 15 acts across seven provincial ministries that will introduce some new response measures and allow some others to continue as the relaunch moves ahead.

According to a press release from the province, Bill 24 includes the following existing measures:

  • Extending to August 2021 the unpaid job-protected leave specific to COVID-19, which allows employees to take leave to care for a child due to school or daycare closures or to care for an ill or self-isolating family member.
  • Providing updated guidance for operating child care programs, including increasing the maximum cohort group size from 10 to 30 staff and children, helping operators reopen safely and ensuring parents have access to child care as they return to work.
  • Allowing for remote signing and witnessing of estate and care documents through two-way video conferencing, ensuring Albertans continue to have access to justice during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Extending the maximum time for temporary layoffs related to COVID-19 from 120 days to 180 days (this change would come into force upon first reading).
  • Extending arrangements that support the Chief Medical Officer of Health Order No. 10 that allows a health-care facility to limit employees to working at one site.
  • Extending the use of emergency powers for an additional 60 days now that the state of public health emergency has ended, and extending existing ministerial orders to continue to protect the health of Albertans during the relaunch.
  • Creating a new regulation-making authority to support and empower orders of the chief medical officer of health, as required. All current public health orders that have been put in place by the chief medical officer of health remain in force.

Bill 24 includes the following new measures:

  • Changing requirements for temporary pandemic-related health facilities, including permitting exemptions for temporary facilities such as drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites.
  • Extending the deadline for the public release of Alberta’s annual report and financial statements to Aug. 31.
  • Ensuring Albertans retain their rights to appeal claims related to private career colleges in the courts or for the Government of Alberta to make claims related to student financial assistance.
  • Extending the grace period of expired board member appointments to the Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board from three to five months after the term expires to allow time for a safe recruitment process.

Additional information, including case totals, available online.