COVID-19 Cases In Alberta Could Be '10 Times' Higher Than The Number Actually Being Reported

COVID-19 cases in Alberta could be dramatically higher than what is being reported, the province's chief medical officer of health has said.

Dr. Deena Hinshaw told reporters in a press conference on Monday that a "conservative estimate" would be that the province is catching "one in 10 [cases] or greater."

She said that transmission due to the Omicron variant is the highest the province has experienced so far in the pandemic, with a positivity rate of just under 40%.

Referring to the strain on the province's healthcare system, she added: "It’s my belief that we need to prepare for a significant impact at this point, given the cases we’ve seen."

On Monday, January 10, Alberta reported over 57,000 active COVID-19 cases, including 635 people in hospital and 72 in intensive care.

Kindergarten and grade-school students returned to the classroom this week and the province recently introduced new isolation rules for anyone testing positive for COVID-19.

The rules state that anyone who has received at least two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine (or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine) now only have to isolate for five days, instead of the previous requirement of 10 days.

Those who are unvaccinated, or have only received one dose, must continue to isolate for 10 days.