Alberta's COVID-19 Cases Are Rising Again & Officials Say We're Not Ready To Reopen More

It isn't time for Step 2 just yet.
Alberta COVID-19 Update: We're Not Ready For Step 2 Yet
YourAlberta | YouTube
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On Monday, February 22, Dr. Deena Hinshaw provided an Alberta COVID-19 update to the public. 

The health official announced 273 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, 11 of which are new variants of concern. 

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1.03  Alberta's reproductive number

Dr. Hinshaw explained that "any time the reproductive number is greater than 1, it means that our cases are rising."

The province is currently in Step 1 of the four-phase reopening plan based upon hospitalization numbers. 

With 354 Albertans currently in the hospital with COVID-19, the province has reached the threshold to move into Step 2, but Dr. Hinshaw says they've opted to wait. 

"We are below the Step 2 threshold of hospitalizations, but we have seen growing cases in recent days," she said. 

"With that in mind, we will be taking the full three weeks to assess the data and assess the best way forward."

She said that "no decisions on moving to Step 2 will be made prior to March 1 at the earliest."

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  • Britanny Burr
    Britanny Burr was a Staff Writer at Narcity Canada, who drove growth within Narcity's Western coverage and readership. Having lived between her hometown, Canmore, Alberta and Calgary, Montreal, Vancouver, and NYC over the past 10 years, she is obsessed with finding the best local hot spots. She holds a B.A. in English and has over six years of professional writing experience as Head Writer and Editor for YUL.Buzz in Montreal, and Creative Copywriter at JAKT in NYC. News by day, poetry by night — the written word is Britanny's nearest and dearest.

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