On Tuesday afternoon, Chief Medical Officer of Health Doctor Deena Hinshaw addressed the province in the last regular in-person COVID-19 update.
Hinshaw had announced last week that the updates would no longer involve an in-person portion, unless necessary, to give the COVID-19 data tracking staff a much-needed break after three hefty waves of the pandemic. Hinshaw also said they will no longer provide case number updates during the weekend unless numbers made drastic changes.
On Thursday, July 1, virtually all public health orders will lift; including bans on indoor social gatherings, limits on retail capacity, and mandatory masks in public spaces.
"We are on the cusp of removing many restrictions but also opening up our social circles, business, and personal lives. COVID-19 is not going away completely. It remains a potentially serious illness that we must keep respecting," says Hinshaw, "We will continue to offer testing to those with symptoms. This is just a reminder that even if you feel only a little unwell, please stay home and get tested."
Right now, there are 1,132 active cases of COVID-19 in Alberta, the lowest it's been since August 26, 2020.
There are 170 Albertans in the hospital due to COVID and 36 in intensive care.
There are currently 35 active COVID-19 cases in Grande Prairie, with five active in the County of Grande Prairie.
As for vaccinations, Hinshaw reports 72.7% of eligible Albertans have at least one dose and 40.7% of eligible Albertans are fully immunized.
"Across the board, our numbers are moving in the right direction. Right now, there are only 5 active cases in all continuing care facilities across the province," says Hinshaw, "If we all keep making wise choices and we keep getting vaccinated, cases could fall below 500 within a few weeks."
According to Hinshaw, since January, more than 95% of COVID-19 cases have been in those who weren't vaccinated at all or who hadn't gone two weeks since receiving a dose.