Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Chief Medical Officer of Health for Alberta announced in her first COVID-19 update in months that she will return to give regular updates on COVID-19 twice a week.  

She opened her update stating that government-provided COVID-19 tests are only given to those who are experiencing symptoms. If a person is seeking a negative test to enter a business, they will have to do it privately and must pay for the test themselves. PCR tests are approximately $150 per test depending on where they are purchased.  

“Of course, instead of paying to get a negative COVID-19 test done privately, you can get vaccinated for free,” she said. “This will provide real protection, help beat down the wave and save you the money spent on testing.” 

On Thursday, Dr. Hinshaw announced 1,718 new cases have been recorded in the last 24 hours. There are 819 in hospital, 202 of those are in ICU, and there have been 10 new deaths in the last 24 hours.  

Alberta’s positivity rate is currently at 10.5 per cent. 

In Strathmore, there are 80 active COVID-19 cases and in Wheatland County there are 18.

Dr. Hinshaw then clarified the restrictions surrounding weddings in the province. She explained that weddings that are scheduled to happen this weekend can still go forward as the restrictions are not to be enforced until Monday.  

She added that wedding venues can choose to be a part of the Restrictions Exemption Program and can host events like weddings and funerals as normal as long as they confirm that each guest is fully vaccinated or has a recent negative COVID-19 test.  

She reiterated that only privately-paid negative COVID-19 tests will be valid for the Restrictions Exemption Program.  

There is also no need to apply for the Restrictions Exemption Program. All businesses have to do is consult the material associated with the program and implement it. There will be audits and enforcement happening starting Monday as it is a Public Health Order.  

During the question period, Hinshaw was asked if businesses that are part of the Vaccination Program have anything to also require employees to be immunized. Hinshaw responded to the questions stating while vaccination may be mandatory in some businesses, it is up to the employer to decide their own mandates on immunization of their staff. 

Hinshaw did mention that enforcement is always a last resort but she has faith that the Alberta community will follow the rules.  

During the question-and-answer period, Dr. Verna Yiu, President and CEO of Alberta Health Services (AHS)  was asked if AHS has enough people to successfully enforce the new program. She responded by saying that it has been a tough 19 months, but they believe they have the people and resources to ensure the publics' safety.  

Dr. Yiu then explained that the 4th wave of COVID-19 has been the sharpest increase AHS has seen since the beginning of the pandemic. She told the public that they are clearing as much critical care space as possible which includes expanding into observation and surgery rooms.  

She said that the province has reached out to other provinces for help. She said if the ICU numbers continue to rise, they may have to transport patients to other provinces to make room. She said that Ontario has offered to help, and they are also talking with British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.  

She said that since the announcement of tighter restrictions, there has been an increase in the number of people receiving the vaccine, which makes her hopeful Alberta will not get to that dire of a state.