Alberta sees 1,105 new COVID-19 cases: a record amount in a single day

The positive case remains anonymous.

“Since AHS launched the contact tracing portal, about 25% of positive cases have used it. This is a good start, but we need to do more. If you test positive, please share your close contact info. AHS has made it easy and anonymous. Your info is not shared with your close contacts,” Hinshaw wrote on social media Thursday.

“If you receive a text that you are a close contact, please respond to AHS. This makes a huge difference in how quickly we notify contacts and prevent further spread.”

Hinshaw will publicly address the province on Friday with a COVID-19 update.

Alberta holds out as last province to not require masks

Alberta remains the only province in Canada without a provincially mandated mask bylaw, after B.C. officials made the call on Thursday.

Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s top doctor, announced sweeping measures to control the spread of COVID-19 in the province as 538 cases were announced on Thursday. Residents are now required to wear masks in all public indoor and retail spaces, and are under a social lockdown until Dec. 9.

Alberta has almost double the number of active cases per capita compared to B.C., but officials provincially only “encourage” wearing masks.

A number of Alberta municipalities have passed temporary bylaws requiring the use of masks in certain public spaces. Among the latest is Chestermere, a bedroom community east of Calgary, which approved such a mandate on Tuesday.