Health Minister Jason Copping announced a change in isolation requirements during a COVID-19 update on New Year's Eve.
"Effective Monday, January 3rd, 2022, people who have previously received at least two doses of vaccines and test positive for COVID will be required to isolate for five days instead of 10 as long as their symptoms have fully resolved by that time. If symptoms continue past five days, then their isolation will need to continue until they are feeling better," Health Minister Copping said.
For the five days following isolation, individuals must wear a mask around others at all times when they're outside their home he added. However, he did underline that anyone who has symptoms must isolate until those symptoms are resolved, vaccinated or not, confirmed to have COVID or not. Those who are unvaccinated must still isolate for 10 days.
"We're making these changes to help prevent disruptions in Alberta's workforce, especially for those who deliver the services Albertans count on we believe this step will help balance the need for continuing continuity in the workforce, the well being of Albertans and our need to continue to reduce the spread of the Omicron variant," he said. "We're providing an exception for workplaces where disruption of service for 24 hours or more would be harmful to the public."
Health Minister Copping explained that where there is no other way to continue the service except by bringing workers back before their isolation period has ended, additional health public health measures will be required. For example, returning workers would not be allowed to remove their masks when in the same room as anyone else at any time, even if they are physically distancing.
In addition to the new isolation requirement, the health minister reiterated improved access to virtual visits to physicians.
When billing for high-priority virtual care services, such as visits and consultations, physicians can now include the time spent on indirect care like charting and completing referrals. Previously, physicians were permitted to bill only for the time spent on a phone or video call.
In addition, physicians can now bill for longer visits (e.g. family physician visits lasting longer than 14 minutes), using a complex modifier code. These changes take effect on Jan. 1st 2022 and will be evaluated over the next year to inform future adjustments in virtual care services.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw also spoke at the press conference, reminding the public there is no new data available on COVID-19 numbers.
"We will resume regular reporting including a day-by-day breakdown for today to January 3rd on Tuesday," she said. "As of yesterday, we had about 21,000 active cases of COVID-19 in the province that we know about. As has been true throughout the pandemic. The total number of new and active cases in the province is greater than those figures."
Dr. Hinshaw said that the pandemic daily numbers have only given the public and the government a snapshot of the situation.
"They've shown us proportionality and trends," Dr. Hinshaw said. "Daily case numbers have never been an exact count. They have never included those Albertans who choose not to get tested because their symptoms are so mild or because they're non-existent. And they're not aware they have the virus."
Current active cases around the area updated on Wednesday, December 29 list Strathmore with 74 active cases, Wheatland County with 20, and 108 in Chestermere.
With regards to the Omicron variant, Hinshaw said that because the variant is so infectious, a proactive, rather than a reactive approach must be used.
"While we continue to learn more about this variant, what we do know is that Omicron is spreading far more quickly than any variant we have ever experienced," she said. "With more people being infected and in a very short time that poses a significant potential threat to our healthcare system. Even though it seems that a smaller percentage of cases are requiring acute care, we can expect it with a greater number of people infected that will soon translate into a greater number of people in hospital. How high these numbers will get is still not known."
Dr. Hinshaw continued to ask the public to keep New Year's Eve celebrations small this year.
"Wherever you go and whatever you do, you should anticipate that one or more people present in any location will likely be infectious with Omicron," Dr. Hinshaw said. "Even if they don't have symptoms, make decisions and take precautions based on that assumption and the knowledge. That action now is critical to preserving our healthcare system in the coming month. Even though this is not the way any of us want to celebrate the new year there is still hope."