In Alberta today, 1,685 new COVID-19 cases were identified from 18,432 completed tests.  

There are now 17,144 active cases, with 43,464 recovered cases. Right now, 504 people are in the hospital with 97 in intensive care. Of these, 26 are in the North Zone with two in intensive care. Provincially, there was an increase of 26 hospitalizations and one less in the North Zone. ICU admissions remain the same from yesterday. 

Ten more Albertans died, for a total of 561 since the start of the pandemic. Two of the new deaths were in the North Zone.  

In Grande Prairie, three new cases were found, and three people recovered. This leaves 70 active cases and brings recoveries to 418. In the County, three people recovered for 153 total and 18 active.  

Peace Region totals: 

In today’s update, Premier Kenney announced the distribution plan so far for a COVID-19 vaccine in Alberta. This will happen over three phases: January to March, April to September and fall 2021. 

In Phase One, the plan is to provide vaccines for 435,000 Albertans, or approximately 10% of the population. The vaccines will go to priority groups: staff and residents of long-term care and designated supported living care facilities, on reserve First Nations individuals over 65 and seniors over 75, and health care workers needed to ensure workforce capacity and who are likely to transmit COVID-19 to those at greatest risk. 

The priority group for Phase Two is yet to be determined, but the goal is to have 30% of Alberta’s population vaccinated. Phase Three is when the vaccine will be available to the general population. 

Alberta has 30 depots throughout the province that will be used to store the vaccinations.  

The government has created a vaccine task force that will take care of distribution of the vaccine. Premier Kenney says that while we don’t have the vaccine yet, we are prepared to get it out as quickly and safely as possible when it arrives. This plan will be adapted as needed and could take less or more time.  

Paul Wynnyk has been named chair of the COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force. 

“We will do everything possible to ensure that once the vaccine is available in Alberta, it will be distributed as rapidly and efficiently as possible. We are assigning a multidisciplinary team, drawn from across the public service, to focus exclusively on this issue.” 

The Premier assures Albertans again that the vaccine will not be mandatory, and the power of mandatory inoculation in the public health act that has existed in law since 1910 is going to be soon removed. Kenney says that we do need as many Albertans as possible to be vaccinated and urges people to do so. 

Both Premier Kenney and Dr. Hinshaw reminded Albertans that we will still need to do our part to prevent the spread and follow public health orders. It will take several months for everyone to be able to receive the vaccine, and it takes two doses to be fully effective.  

Dr. Hinshaw says the first dose will come three to four weeks after the first. She says that Albertans are each other’s vaccine until the vaccine arrives.  

Watch the full update here: