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Dr. Ravi Patel walks with his son Krish, 3, as he drops him off for school at the Calgary French and International School. School administrators and trustees are begging the provincial government to provide them with COVID-19 statistics and supports, such as contact tracing.
Dave Chidley/The Globe and Mail
At Delnorte School, a primary and secondary school in the Alberta village of Innisfree, roughly 30 per cent of students were out sick with symptoms of a respiratory illness earlier this month. At Dewberry School, about 60 kilometres to the east, 20 per cent were absent. At Cambrian Heights School, in Calgary, nearly 11 per cent of kids missed class for the same reason, according to government data obtained by The Globe and Mail.
Dozens of schools across Alberta have experienced similar absentee rates since classes resumed, without government-mandated public-health restrictions, at the end of August.
But the Alberta government refuses to disclose how many schools have hit the 10-per-cent absentee threshold necessary for the province to declare an outbreak of a respiratory illness, even as parents and administrators say information on the spread of COVID-19 is crucial to students’ safety amid the fourth wave of the pandemic.
Parents, staff and students confused, anxious about lack of COVID-19 safety guidance for Alberta schools
Alberta Education Minister Adriana LaGrange told reporters last month that vaccines had created a situation where parents, students and staff would be able to return to a “normal” school year. As schools reopened, though, some of them quickly landed on the province’s outbreak list.
The coronavirus has forced at least five schools to shift to at-home learning so far this year, according to Alberta Education. School administrators and trustees are now begging the provincial government to provide them with COVID-19 statistics and supports, such as contact tracing.
“Not having information is creating fear, it is creating rumours, and it is creating chaos in our schools,” said Trisha Estabrooks, chair of the Edmonton Public Schools board of trustees. “Schools need to be safe, welcoming, calm places for our kids to go to every day. And this situation is not tenable.”
Alberta Health Services did not reply to a message seeking confirmation of the absentee data obtained by The Globe.
The provincial government has not always been this reluctant to share information. During the previous school year, it alerted local school officials when someone related to their institution tested positive for COVID-19, without revealing personal information. This assisted with contact tracing, and with determining isolation and quarantine requirements for close contacts. But the government eliminated all of those safety measures this year, along with the disclosures.
Now, administrators are relying on voluntary disclosures from parents and staff to track COVID-19 in their hallways. Even when schools inform the province of a respiratory-illness-related absentee rate of at least 10 per cent, it can take six or seven days before Alberta Health Services discloses this to parents, Ms. Estabrooks said.
“It feels like the government is acting as though schools are simply an afterthought,” she said.
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When asked by reporters on Thursday why parents are not being informed of COVID-19 infections in their children’s schools, Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, said revealing individual health information would violate privacy laws.
COVID-19 infections per capita, by age
Daily infections per 100,000 people; seven-day average
0-4 years
5-19
20-39
40-59
60+
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 Jan. 2021 Mar. May July Sept. 14.80780897 18.79849929 28.10457788 25.41198659 20.61303459 THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: alberta health
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Row Labels 0-4 years 5-19 20-39 40-59 60+ 2021-01-01 14.80780897 18.79849929 28.10457788 25.41198659 20.61303459 2021-01-02 14.43628688 18.86897164 28.00623371 25.23945128 20.72727943 2021-01-03 15.17933106 19.97891115 28.64000724 25.73240932 20.87416567 2021-01-04 15.07318189 19.89082071 28.88040409 25.69543746 20.3682242 2021-01-05 15.02010731 19.57369514 28.3340476 24.22888732 19.89492412 2021-01-06 15.07318189 19.11562487 26.83703082 23.14437964 19.14417226 2021-01-07 13.95861562 19.0627706 26.61848822 22.14613963 18.18125141 2021-01-08 14.11783938 19.60893131 26.97908351 22.4542384 17.65898925 2021-01-09 15.44470398 21.31788579 28.17014066 23.78522509 17.72427202 2021-01-10 14.33013771 20.22556437 25.85358914 22.15846358 16.33701316 2021-01-11 14.01169021 19.85558454 24.94663736 21.33275887 15.92899585 2021-01-12 14.01169021 19.13324295 23.20922372 20.58099787 15.61890269 2021-01-13 14.22398854 19.45036853 22.81584705 20.54402602 15.89635446 2021-01-14 14.22398854 18.9218259 20.80525516 19.22536328 14.65598184 2021-01-15 12.47252727 17.72379596 19.55956236 18.31339092 14.83550945 2021-01-16 12.6848256 17.84712257 19.31916551 17.86972869 14.5254163 2021-01-17 12.10100518 17.23048951 18.56519355 17.1919114 14.57437837 2021-01-18 11.41103559 16.80765541 17.45062631 16.34155879 14.49277491 2021-01-19 10.56184224 16.45529366 17.06817677 15.15845951 14.00315414 2021-01-20 9.500350558 14.99299241 16.20493351 14.38205061 13.18711951 2021-01-21 8.75730638 14.34112317 15.58208711 14.08627579 13.10551605 2021-01-22 8.916530132 14.05923377 15.00294923 13.65493751 12.53429181 2021-01-23 7.801963866 13.0373847 14.03043468 12.7306412 11.73457788 2021-01-24 7.324292609 12.79073148 13.77911069 12.49648613 11.13071226 2021-01-25 7.271218025 12.4736059 13.42944254 12.41021848 10.44524318 2021-01-26 6.793546767 11.89220902 12.63176206 12.13909156 9.384398169 2021-01-27 7.005845104 11.52222918 11.95428001 11.21479525 8.649967008 2021-01-28 7.377367193 11.11701317 11.44070491 10.98064018 7.980818617 2021-01-29 7.058919688 10.83512377 11.00361972 10.31514684 6.952614991 2021-01-30 7.536590945 10.97606847 11.00361972 10.37676659 6.871011529 2021-01-31 8.014262202 10.88797803 11.04732824 10.31514684 6.707804604 2021-02-01 7.324292609 10.6589429 10.75229574 9.970076215 6.658842527 2021-02-02 7.377367193 10.7998876 11.13474528 9.563385838 6.2834666 2021-02-03 6.95277052 10.41228967 11.01454685 9.551061887 5.810166518 2021-02-04 6.740472183 10.00707366 10.75229574 8.947188297 5.402149207 2021-02-05 6.475099263 9.531385301 10.63209731 8.947188297 5.646959594 2021-02-06 6.262800926 8.844279892 10.1513036 8.774652985 5.402149207 2021-02-07 6.156651758 8.491918143 9.845343961 8.491202116 5.238942282 2021-02-08 6.528173847 8.280501094 9.561238586 8.343314707 4.994131895 2021-02-09 6.581248431 7.628631859 8.796339499 8.417258411 4.651397353 2021-02-10 6.422024679 7.452450984 8.577796903 8.355638657 4.406586966 2021-02-11 5.944353422 7.381978635 8.15163884 8.146131493 4.292342119 2021-02-12 6.156651758 6.871054099 8.097003191 7.973596182 4.047531732 2021-02-13 5.732055085 6.765345574 7.812897816 7.739441116 3.949607577 2021-02-14 5.732055085 6.765345574 7.692699388 7.677821362 3.819042037 2021-02-15 5.625905917 6.853436012 7.965877633 7.80106087 3.851683422 2021-02-16 5.41360758 6.7301094 7.856606335 7.505286051 3.786400652 2021-02-17 5.254383828 6.712491312 8.271837268 7.727117165 4.096493809 2021-02-18 5.360532996 6.606782787 8.435744215 7.579229756 4.341304196 2021-02-19 5.201309244 7.117707323 8.424817085 7.875004575 4.863566355 2021-02-20 5.891278837 7.029616886 8.676141071 7.78873692 5.108376742 2021-02-21 5.785129669 7.064853061 8.70892246 7.899652477 5.320545744 2021-02-22 6.31587551 7.011998798 8.818193759 7.899652477 5.320545744 2021-02-23 6.475099263 7.82243082 9.200643302 8.294018903 5.695921671 2021-02-24 7.324292609 8.280501094 9.036736355 7.825708772 5.630638901 2021-02-25 7.165068856 8.544772405 9.244351821 7.936624329 5.353187129 2021-02-26 7.695814698 8.544772405 9.736072663 8.010568034 4.863566355 2021-02-27 7.324292609 8.474300055 9.91090674 7.80106087 4.651397353 2021-02-28 7.589665529 8.527154318 10.05295943 7.739441116 4.684038738 2021-03-01 7.21814344 8.668099017 9.965542389 7.505286051 4.863566355 2021-03-02 7.483516361 9.161405465 9.91090674 7.061623821 4.586114583 2021-03-03 6.687397599 9.108551203 9.648655624 6.913736411 4.308662811 2021-03-04 7.058919688 9.073315028 9.943688129 6.975356165 4.537152506 2021-03-05 6.581248431 9.284732077 9.462894417 6.568665788 4.504511121 2021-03-06 6.156651758 9.549003389 9.211570432 6.667257395 4.716680123 2021-03-07 6.103577174 9.689948088 9.003954965 6.531693936 4.504511121 2021-03-08 5.944353422 9.866128963 8.807266629 6.691905296 4.324983504 2021-03-09 5.572831333 9.390440602 8.71984959 6.963032214 4.422907659 2021-03-10 6.05050259 9.319968252 8.927465057 7.369722592 4.635076661 2021-03-11 5.466682164 9.425676777 9.244351821 7.480638149 4.7656422 2021-03-12 5.732055085 9.496149127 9.867198221 7.690145313 4.879887048 2021-03-13 5.678980501 9.460912952 10.45726323 8.010568034 4.7656422 2021-03-14 5.732055085 9.513767214 10.97083833 8.515850018 5.09205605 2021-03-15 5.838204253 9.918983225 11.35328788 8.885568543 5.206300897 2021-03-16 6.368950094 10.35943541 11.53904908 9.415498428 5.630638901 2021-03-17 6.262800926 11.081777 11.94335288 9.859160658 5.646959594 2021-03-18 7.589665529 12.29742503 12.36951095 10.86972463 5.777525133 2021-03-19 7.85503845 12.96691235 12.36951095 11.35035871 6.006014828 2021-03-20 8.226560539 13.93590716 12.81752327 11.86796464 6.41403214 2021-03-21 8.279635123 14.35874126 13.18904568 12.44719033 6.185542445 2021-03-22 8.969604716 14.51730405 13.94301764 12.69366935 6.528276987 2021-03-23 9.712648894 14.95775623 15.15592905 12.95247231 6.462994217 2021-03-24 11.62333392 15.94436913 16.22678777 13.39613454 6.642521834 2021-03-25 11.14566267 16.08531383 16.79499852 13.14965553 6.789408066 2021-03-26 10.82721516 16.34958514 17.69102317 13.69190936 6.968935684 2021-03-27 11.14566267 17.14239907 17.82214872 13.91374048 7.115821916 2021-03-28 10.98643891 17.6709417 18.34665095 13.80282492 7.458556458 2021-03-29 10.88028974 18.09377579 19.27545699 14.22183925 7.393273688 2021-03-30 10.77414058 18.95706208 19.98572043 15.34331877 7.60544269 2021-03-31 9.712648894 19.22133339 20.64134822 15.88557261 7.980818617 2021-04-01 10.66799141 20.3312729 22.42247037 17.09331979 8.290911773 2021-04-02 12.20715435 21.95213694 23.82114299 18.38733463 8.878456702 2021-04-03 13.95861562 23.00922219 25.252597 19.53346205 8.568363545 2021-04-04 15.3916294 24.04868935 26.29067433 21.09860381 8.878456702 2021-04-05 15.86930065 25.21148312 27.27411601 22.56515396 9.335436091 2021-04-06 16.40004649 27.14947273 29.37212494 23.88381669 10.10250864 2021-04-07 16.98386692 29.38696984 32.20225156 25.41198659 10.34731902 2021-04-08 17.62076193 31.8182659 33.63370556 27.23593132 10.86958118 2021-04-09 18.0453586 33.17485864 34.52973021 27.88910071 10.98382603 2021-04-10 17.56768734 33.56245656 35.63337032 28.4436785 12.22419866 2021-04-11 18.20458235 34.63715989 36.81350034 28.96128443 12.24051935 2021-04-12 19.10685028 35.3242653 37.08667858 29.04755209 12.74646082 2021-04-13 19.42529779 35.35950148 37.20687701 29.56515802 12.89334705 2021-04-14 20.80523698 36.39896864 37.48005526 30.76058125 13.33400575 2021-04-15 20.96446073 36.24040585 37.68767072 31.41375065 13.44825059 2021-04-16 20.91138614 36.61038569 38.90058213 32.32572301 13.62777821 2021-04-17 20.80523698 38.12554121 40.47408882 33.33628697 13.49721267 2021-04-18 21.28290823 38.81264662 41.63236458 34.28523119 14.05211621 2021-04-19 21.81365407 39.8168776 43.36977823 35.17255565 14.01947483 2021-04-20 22.3974745 40.87396285 44.4952726 36.49121838 14.34588868 2021-04-21 23.45896618 41.98390235 44.94328492 37.20600753 14.55805768 2021-04-22 24.7327562 42.01913853 45.0088477 37.55107815 14.55805768 2021-04-23 25.05120371 41.75486722 45.01977483 37.79755717 14.55805768 2021-04-24 26.37806831 41.47297782 44.26580287 38.2165715 14.5254163 2021-04-25 27.01496332 42.79433438 44.53898112 38.62326188 14.36220937 2021-04-26 27.33341082 44.18616328 44.59361676 39.7447414 14.72126461 2021-04-27 28.23567875 44.64423356 45.17275464 39.92960066 14.67230253 2021-04-28 28.71335001 44.55614312 46.91016828 40.4718545 14.70494391 2021-04-29 29.77484169 46.65269552 47.95917275 41.39615081 15.01503707 2021-04-30 32.48164548 51.33910678 51.2045303 44.2799553 15.66786477 2021-05-01 33.80851008 52.90711656 52.01313791 44.9577726 15.84739239 2021-05-02 36.99298513 55.21508602 53.59757173 46.31340719 16.30437177 2021-05-03 38.26677515 55.90219143 54.71213897 47.01587239 16.56550285 2021-05-04 41.18587728 58.43919602 55.95783177 48.45777463 16.74503047 2021-05-05 42.51274188 60.07767815 55.21478694 49.23418353 16.94087878 2021-05-06 43.68038273 59.00297481 55.77207056 48.97538057 16.33701316 2021-05-07 45.8033661 56.81833197 53.93631275 48.16199981 15.79843031 2021-05-08 46.49333569 56.04313613 53.77240581 47.55812622 15.48833715 2021-05-09 45.43184401 53.94658372 52.48300449 45.84509706 15.30880953 2021-05-10 45.96258985 52.69569951 51.63068836 44.57573012 14.75390599 2021-05-11 45.90951526 50.0529864 50.21016149 42.65319379 14.2969266 2021-05-12 44.31727774 47.02267536 48.3088409 40.4718545 13.83994721 2021-05-13 42.99041314 45.45466558 46.30917614 38.53699422 13.6440989 2021-05-14 39.16904308 42.26579175 43.41348674 35.2095275 13.2197609 2021-05-15 36.56838846 40.62730962 41.42474912 33.69368155 13.08919536 2021-05-16 32.53472007 36.99798361 38.07012027 31.15494768 12.32212281 2021-05-17 30.0932892 34.51383328 35.44760911 29.46656642 11.88146412 2021-05-18 25.90039705 30.83165301 32.49728406 26.52114217 10.93486395 2021-05-19 22.98129492 27.73086962 29.54695901 23.83452089 10.20043279 2021-05-20 19.95604363 24.68294049 26.64034248 21.32043492 9.743453403 2021-05-21 18.20458235 22.39258913 24.49862504 19.11444772 8.715249778 2021-05-22 16.61234483 19.78511219 22.38968899 17.17958745 7.931856539 2021-05-23 16.55927025 18.42851946 21.26419461 16.50177015 7.393273688 2021-05-24 14.7016598 16.31434896 19.52678097 14.45599431 6.544597679 2021-05-25 12.89712394 14.65824874 16.82777991 12.71831725 5.989694136 2021-05-26 13.16249686 13.65401776 15.56023285 11.67078143 5.385828514 2021-05-27 13.16249686 13.61878159 14.23805015 10.93134438 4.798283585 2021-05-28 11.46411017 12.87882191 13.25460846 10.21655523 4.733000816 2021-05-29 11.67640851 12.43836973 12.46785512 9.674301395 4.373945581 2021-05-30 10.61491682 12.01553563 11.8013002 8.860920641 4.063852424 2021-05-31 10.3495439 11.68079197 10.69766009 8.195427297 4.080173117 2021-06-01 10.61491682 12.26218885 10.57746166 8.022891985 4.243380042 2021-06-02 9.128828469 11.48699301 9.736072663 7.221835182 3.949607577 2021-06-03 7.85503845 10.14801836 8.610578292 6.371482575 3.57423165 2021-06-04 8.279635123 9.549003389 7.987731893 6.125003559 3.411024726 2021-06-05 7.536590945 8.844279892 7.517865311 5.484158116 3.215176416 2021-06-06 7.695814698 8.227646831 6.96058169 5.360918608 3.084610876 2021-06-07 8.12041137 7.96337552 6.687403445 5.163735394 2.774517719 2021-06-08 8.173485955 7.663868033 6.272172512 4.707749214 2.44810387 2021-06-09 8.12041137 7.064853061 5.561909074 4.362678591 2.31753833 2021-06-10 7.961187618 6.677255137 5.321512219 4.140847476 2.333859023 2021-06-11 7.430441777 6.342511476 4.840718507 3.672537345 2.203293483 2021-06-12 6.899695936 6.025385902 4.501977483 3.586269689 2.138010713 2021-06-13 6.475099263 6.166330602 4.327143406 3.228875115 2.138010713 2021-06-14 5.785129669 6.236802951 4.141382199 3.413734378 2.040086558 2021-06-15 5.14823466 5.267808143 3.540390059 3.105635607 1.648389939 2021-06-16 4.670563403 5.021154918 3.48575441 3.130283509 1.566786477 2021-06-17 4.405190482 4.756883607 3.420191631 2.859156591 1.403579552 2021-06-18 4.086742977 4.422139946 3.343701723 2.674297328 1.19141055 2021-06-19 3.821370057 4.016923935 3.037742088 2.501762017 1.093486395 2021-06-20 3.237549631 3.682180274 2.830126621 2.390846459 1.011882933 2021-06-21 3.184475047 3.347436612 2.720855323 2.045775836 0.979241548 2021-06-22 3.025251295 3.136019563 2.502312727 1.848592623 1.028203625 2021-06-23 2.866027543 2.942220601 2.229134482 1.688381263 0.832355316 2021-06-24 2.759878374 2.572240765 2.152644573 1.725353115 0.848676008 2021-06-25 2.547580038 2.255115191 2.065227535 1.626761509 0.799713931 2021-06-26 2.494505454 2.043698142 1.955956236 1.466550148 0.718110469 2021-06-27 2.388356285 1.885135355 1.966883366 1.441902246 0.718110469 2021-06-28 2.653729206 1.867517268 1.813903549 1.392606443 0.750751854 2021-06-29 2.229132533 1.744190656 1.74834077 1.380282492 0.701789776 2021-06-30 2.069908781 1.691336394 1.72648651 1.220071131 0.767072546 2021-07-01 1.698386692 1.515155519 1.453308265 1.096831623 0.718110469 2021-07-02 1.53916294 1.409446995 1.092712981 1.096831623 0.685469084 2021-07-03 1.645312108 1.462301257 1.092712981 1.072183722 0.750751854 2021-07-04 1.80453586 1.532773607 1.081785851 1.04753582 0.701789776 2021-07-05 1.326864603 1.286120383 1.15827576 1.04753582 0.652827699 2021-07-06 1.220715435 1.092321421 1.14734863 0.961268164 0.685469084 2021-07-07 1.379939187 1.021849071 1.125494371 0.875000508 0.669148391 2021-07-08 1.53916294 1.145175683 1.212911409 0.911972361 0.636507006 2021-07-09 1.486088355 0.968994809 1.311255577 0.936620262 0.669148391 2021-07-10 1.273790019 0.880904372 1.256619928 0.887324459 0.603865621 2021-07-11 1.114566267 0.845668197 1.201984279 0.911972361 0.587544929 2021-07-12 1.114566267 0.916140547 1.201984279 0.862676558 0.538582851 2021-07-13 1.008417098 0.828050109 1.256619928 0.727113098 0.424338004 2021-07-14 0.955342514 0.775195847 1.333109837 0.764084951 0.375375927 2021-07-15 0.689969594 0.651869235 1.464235395 0.702465197 0.391696619 2021-07-16 0.636895009 0.775195847 1.649996602 0.628521492 0.342734542 2021-07-17 0.583820425 0.75757776 1.72648651 0.739437049 0.277451772 2021-07-18 0.636895009 0.863286284 1.824830679 0.690141246 0.261131079 2021-07-19 0.689969594 0.968994809 1.988737626 0.739437049 0.293772464 2021-07-20 0.743044178 1.180411858 2.250988741 0.89964841 0.342734542 2021-07-21 0.743044178 1.391828907 2.600656895 0.875000508 0.391696619 2021-07-22 1.008417098 1.84989918 3.47482728 0.948944213 0.342734542 2021-07-23 1.326864603 2.114170492 4.141382199 1.022887918 0.456979389 2021-07-24 1.53916294 2.413677978 4.829791377 1.133803476 0.489620774 2021-07-25 1.910685028 2.431296066 5.081115363 1.318662738 0.554903544 2021-07-26 1.963759612 2.67794929 5.561909074 1.454226197 0.669148391 2021-07-27 2.176057949 2.783657814 6.545350758 1.65140941 0.669148391 2021-07-28 2.388356285 3.065547213 7.288395585 2.070423738 0.734431161 2021-07-29 2.44143087 3.136019563 7.343031234 2.218311148 0.832355316 2021-07-30 2.494505454 3.312200437 7.856606335 2.55105782 0.864996701 2021-07-31 2.972176711 3.488381312 8.271837268 2.84683264 0.979241548 2021-08-01 2.812952958 3.611707924 8.588724032 2.99472005 1.06084501 2021-08-02 2.919102127 3.453145137 8.468525605 3.044015853 1.077165703 2021-08-03 2.972176711 3.505999399 8.249983008 3.15493141 1.19141055 2021-08-04 3.131400463 4.140250547 9.069517744 3.635565492 1.485183015 2021-08-05 3.078325879 4.439758033 10.20593924 4.091551673 1.697352017 2021-08-06 3.131400463 5.091627268 10.92712981 4.572185755 1.958483096 2021-08-07 2.866027543 5.514461367 12.01984279 4.880284526 2.105369328 2021-08-08 2.972176711 5.761114591 12.63176206 5.089791689 2.284896945 2021-08-09 2.972176711 6.219184864 13.72447504 5.496482067 2.333859023 2021-08-10 3.821370057 6.994380711 15.11222053 6.396130477 2.921403952 2021-08-11 4.139817561 7.417214809 15.88804675 6.75352505 3.296779878 2021-08-12 4.829787155 8.245264919 17.02446825 7.160215428 3.525269573 2021-08-13 5.095160076 8.703335192 18.02976419 7.64084951 3.786400652 2021-08-14 5.307458412 8.932370329 18.14996262 8.035215936 4.014890347 2021-08-15 5.360532996 9.390440602 18.98042448 8.367962608 4.276021426 2021-08-16 6.156651758 9.918983225 19.18803995 8.799300887 4.667718046 2021-08-17 5.891278837 10.53561629 20.30260719 9.230639166 4.684038738 2021-08-18 6.634323015 11.02892273 21.5155186 10.24120313 5.15733882 2021-08-19 7.165068856 11.38128448 21.81055111 11.12852759 5.695921671 2021-08-20 8.651157212 12.24457077 22.56452306 11.78169699 6.34874937 2021-08-21 10.45569307 13.21356557 23.30756789 12.16373946 6.968935684 2021-08-22 11.09258808 13.4602188 23.40591206 12.53345799 7.213746071 2021-08-23 11.62333392 14.14732421 24.32379096 13.27289504 7.850253077 2021-08-24 13.26864603 15.53915312 25.42743107 14.60388172 9.253832629 2021-08-25 14.22398854 16.75480115 26.50921692 15.14613556 10.23307418 2021-08-26 15.28548023 18.67517268 28.09365075 16.50177015 10.93486395 2021-08-27 16.18774816 20.66601656 29.84199152 17.59860177 11.53872957 2021-08-28 15.76315148 21.47644858 31.07675719 18.7447292 12.07731243 2021-08-29 16.93079233 23.53776481 32.55191971 19.66902551 12.81174359 2021-08-30 17.30231442 24.4010511 33.6118513 20.60564577 13.61145752 2021-08-31 18.36380611 25.24671929 34.343969 21.78874505 14.15004037 2021-09-01 18.73532819 26.14524175 35.05423244 22.99649223 14.44381283 2021-09-02 19.10685028 26.53283967 36.31085237 23.68663348 15.43937507 2021-09-03 18.62917903 26.83234716 36.33270663 24.24121127 15.99427862 2021-09-04 19.26607404 29.05222618 38.00455749 25.62149376 17.47946163 2021-09-05 18.94762653 28.71748252 37.61118081 25.70776141 17.62634786 2021-09-06 20.0621928 30.19740186 39.03170769 27.11269181 18.13228933 2021-09-07 19.00070112 30.93736153 38.22310008 26.47184637 17.95276171 2021-09-08 19.53144696 32.2411 38.56184111 26.43487451 18.78511703 2021-09-09 19.53144696 33.75625552 38.16846443 26.2130434 18.96464465 2021-09-10 20.27449113 35.28902913 39.18468751 27.32219897 19.79699996 2021-09-11 21.49520657 35.97613454 38.61647676 27.50705823 19.9438862 2021-09-12 23.77741369 39.44689776 41.39196773 29.88558074 21.18425882 2021-09-13 24.7327562 41.34965121 41.39196773 29.60212987 21.51067267 2021-09-14 26.37806831 43.322877 42.45189932 30.84684891 22.70208322 2021-09-15 27.0680379 45.03183148 42.7360047 31.78346917 22.71840391 2021-09-16 28.81949918 48.44974044 43.63202934 33.92783661 23.58340062 2021-09-17 29.4033196 49.38349908 43.11845424 33.38558278 23.33859023 2021-09-18 29.45639419 50.49343858 43.435341 33.63206179 23.33859023 2021-09-19 28.60720084 49.94727787 42.65951479 33.01586425 23.87717308 2021-09-20 28.92564835 50.66961946 42.58302488 33.55811809 24.28519039 2021-09-21 29.13794668 50.65200137 40.9767368 32.62149783 22.78368668 2021-09-22 29.50946877 52.2904835 40.2446191 32.28875115 22.68576253
COVID-19 infections per capita, by age download csv
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Dr. Hinshaw said, as she has in the past, that “large-scale transmission in schools is not common” and “that schools are impacted by community transmission, but are not locations that drive community transmissions outwards.”
But education officials and parents struggle to believe schools are as safe now as they were under last year’s containment protocols.
In Foothills School Division, parents and staff have voluntarily reported 64 new cases of COVID-19 to administrators since classes resumed at the end of August. During the previous school year, when the provincial government informed administrators about every COVID-19 case in their institutions, it took eight months before the division hit 64 cases, according to superintendent Chris Fuzessy.
“It feels like we are going backwards,” Mr. Fuzessy said.
Trina Boymook, chair of the board of trustees at Elk Island Public Schools, said in a statement that parents are nervous about the lack of safety protocols.
“Parents have expressed concern and frustration that there’s no longer contact tracing or mandatory quarantining of close contacts, which may be contributing to the spread of cases in schools and ultimately, in the community,” she said.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney and his caucus have spent recent weeks embroiled in an internal battle over Mr. Kenney’s leadership and the government’s approach to mitigating the spread of the virus. Meanwhile, Alberta’s intensive-care units are swamped with unvaccinated COVID-19 patients, and health care professionals have been forced to dial back care.
On Thursday, the head of Alberta Health Services said the province’s intensive-care units are only able to absorb new COVID-19 patients – roughly 23 admissions per day – because other patients are freeing up beds by dying. Surgeries have been cancelled for weeks. The Canadian Armed Forces is bringing in staff and air transport to assist with the crisis.
Children have the highest rate of new infections of any age group in Alberta right now, and represent the only cohort for whom infections have not levelled off or decreased in recent days. There are roughly 56 new daily cases for every 100,000 individuals between the ages of 5 and 9 in the province, and 50 new infections per 100,000 people between 10 and 19, according to government data. The youngest person to die of COVID-19 in Alberta was 18.
In Canada, people over 12 years old have access to COVID-19 vaccines. Pfizer-BioNTech this week announced that its vaccine had produced positive results in trials on children as young as 5. Health Canada and the National Advisory Committee on Immunization must review the company’s data before approving the shots for kids under 12.
Trial results for children six months to five years old could be released before the year is out, Pfizer has said.
With reports from James Keller and The Canadian Press
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