On Tuesday, February 16, Dr. Deena Hinshaw addressed the public with an Alberta COVID-19 update. She noted that there have been 263 new COVID-19 cases reported within the past 24-hours and that variant cases are increasing by an average of 12 per day. Editor's Choice: Canada's Most Expensive Cities For Renters Were Revealed & The Prices Are Painful 4,993 Active COVID-19 cases in Alberta The health official also spoke briefly about the current health measures. It has been one week since the province went into Step 1 of the reopening plan, which is a phased approach based upon hospitalizations. Hinshaw said that she's received many questions about why indoor social gatherings will not be allowed until Step 3. "Evidence shows that it’s in these social get-togethers where we see the highest rate of transmission," she said, mentioning the spikes that the province saw after both Thanksgiving and Halloween. "This sacrifice has had the biggest impact on reducing the spread in the province," she continued. Indoor social gatherings have been banned in Alberta since early December and they will not be lifted until Step 3.
