EDMONTON — The novel coronavirus Delta variant is slowly growing in Alberta, raising concerns over its spread as the province readies to reopen.

Alberta has reported 292 cases of the B.1.617 variant since June 1 when the province resumed variant of concern screening for all positive tests.

Reports suggest it is 60 per cent more transmissible than the original virus, and results in nearly double the risk of hospitalizations compared to other strains. 

“It’s growing exponentially,” said Dr. Malgorzata Gasperowicz of the Delta variant in Alberta.

“We will have this fourth wave if we don’t try to do something to stamp it out now.”

The Alpha variant first identified in the United Kingdom remains the dominant variant strain in the province, at 82 per cent of all cases reported since the start of the month. 

But, the Delta has grown from just under nine per cent of cases to close to 13 per cent by June 13. 

Gasperowicz says exponential growth coupled with soon-to-be loosened public health restrictions could lead to a spike in cases despite around 70 per cent of eligible Albertans having had a first dose of vaccine.

“That level of vaccination won’t stop Delta growth.” 

The province has reported fewer than 200 new cases of COVID-19 for the last five straight days. But Gasperowicz says we’ve seen how variants grew rapidly in the second and third waves.

“It’s exactly what we had in February, March, April with Alpha variant … that it was growing under the decline of the overall cases.”

The Delta variant is on track to become the dominant strain of COVID-19 in Ontario. Yesterday in the U.K., the next planned relaxation of health restrictions was delayed by a month amid a rapid rise in Delta variant cases.

Alberta has largely banked its reopening plan on first-shot vaccination rates. 

“The lion’s share of our vaccines have been mRNAs which are proving to be more effective, particularly on first dose, against that particular variant,” said Alberta Premier Jason Kenney.

Kenney also noted that the U.K. relied almost entirely on the AstraZeneca vaccine for protection which is not a mRNA vaccine.

Experts say protection against all forms of COVID-19 is markedly improved by a second shot of vaccine.

Alberta will enter Stage 3 of its reopening plan, which removes almost all public health restrictions, two weeks after 70 per cent of the population is vaccinated with a first dose. 

The rate of vaccinations has slowed in recent weeks, prompting the province to launch a lottery to encourage more Albertans to get their first shot.

EDMONTON — In Tuesday’s COVID-19 update, the province reported 127 new cases and 2,804 active cases, the lowest since Oct. 15.

This is the sixth day in a row Alberta has reported fewer than 200 new daily cases.

Dr. André Corriveau, the deputy chief medical officer of health for Alberta, also announced 85 of the new cases were variants of concern. Corriveau is filling in for Dr. Deena Hinshaw this week while she’s on vacation.

The 127 new cases come after more than 4,400 tests, meaning the province is sitting at a positivity rate of 2.9 per cent. Corriveau also announced four new deaths due to COVID-19 in the last 24 hours.

There are 271 people in hospital due to COVID-19, with 68 in the ICU, according to Corriveau.

Currently, there are 216 COVID-19 outbreaks or alerts in schools in the province. Edmonton Public Schools announced that Malmo and Balwin schools each had one new case than that 39 students and seven staff were quarantining.

As of June 13, Alberta had administered 3,480,407 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. First doses are closing in on 70 per cent with 69.4 per cent of eligible Albertans receiving one vaccine, while 22 per cent of people are fully immunized.

Corriveau echoed sentiments that the vaccine lottery announced Saturday will help increase vaccination rates, which have been declining over recent weeks.

‘SEVERE ADVERSE EFFECTS HAVE BEEN EXCEEDINGLY RARE’

Corriveau encouraged Albertans who are still hesitant about getting a COVID-19 vaccine to talk to a health care professional or a similar “credible” source.

“Vaccines are safe, effective and they do save lives,” said Corriveau. “To date, we have had 559 adverse events reported to Alberta Health, which represents roughly .015 per cent of all people who have been vaccinated… and most of these were minor symptoms.”

After receiving a first dose, Corriveau highlighted the importance of arranging to receive a second dose.

“The second one is what will give us a sustainable recovery from this pandemic experience,” said Corriveau.

Corriveau also reminded Albertans that there are walk-in clinics available for people to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

“We’re working really hard to accelerate access to the second doses to all Albertans to we get to our goal as soon as possible,” said Corriveau.

He also talked about how people who have gotten a Pfizer or Moderna shot will be able to get a second dose of either of those mRNA vaccines.

“Whichever vaccine you receive, be confident that you’re receiving great protection in a safe way against the virus,” said Corriveau.

He said that the province is looking at the possibility of moving up the date for people who received their first vaccine dose in May to book their second dose. Currently, those people can begin booking a second dose on June 28.

“We’re doing the math right now to be able to speed up the access… we hope to be able to make an announcement later this week about when that will occur.”

RISING DELTA VARIANT CASES

Corriveau did say that the province was concerned about the Delta variant, which is slowly spreading in Alberta.

“It has shown itself to be much more transmissible than even the other variants we have experienced,” said Corriveau. “The good news is that… the vaccine, when people have received two doses, is still very effective.

“The other thing is that as our numbers decrease overall, a more transmissible variant will naturally become more dominant as a result.”

Corriveau added that while the province isn’t ruling out the possibility that the virus is airborne, it isn’t a “major form of transmission.”

He also reminded Albertans to “limit your travel to what you feel is necessary,” until the province moves into Stage 3 of reopening. That stage is set to begin two weeks after the province reaches 70 per cent of eligible Albertans having received a first dose of a vaccine.

Corriveau said the province is starting modelling on if and when the Delta variant could cause a fourth wave.

“It will really depend on how many people have received their second dose,” said Corriveau. “We think we can achieve our goal of avoiding a significant fourth wave by reaching high levels of second doses.”

EDMONTON — Edmonton Police Service says no one was injured when a vehicle struck a house in the Summerside neighborhood of southeast Edmonton Monday evening.

Edmonton Fire Rescue Services responded to the collision just after 5 p.m when a vehicle crashed into a house at 14 Avenue SW and 88 Street SW.

Police say the crash has left the house with extensive structural damage.

Alcohol and drugs are not believed to be a factor in the collision, police said.

Police are continuing to investigate the crash.

More to come…

CALGARY — COVID-19 will continue to be a threat in Alberta for months — and possibly years — after the province reaches the 70 per cent vaccination benchmark to remove health restrictions, Premier Jason Kenney said Monday.

And even after the province reopens, we will still see seasonal spikes of the disease, he warned. 

Speaking to reporters about the Open For Summer Lottery — which will see three $1-million prizes awarded in the coming months to Albertans who have been vaccinated — Kenney said the first of three draws will be made on the first day of Stage 3, but that won’t mean an end to the pandemic.

“As Dr. (Deena) Hinshaw has said, COVID is not going away,” he said.

“It’s not going away at Phase 3. It will probably continue to be a healthcare issue for many years to come, just like the Spanish flu was for 30-plus years after its deadly phase. So we can expect to see COVID and different variant strains ricochet around the world and around our province for years to come, just like other contagious diseases do.”

According to Kenney on Monday, about 48,300 more people need to receive a first dose before Alberta reaches its 70 per cent benchmark. According to the latest data, 68.7 per cent of the eligible population had been vaccinated with at least one dose.

Kenney added the goal of provincial health measures and mandates over the last 16 month was to stop the province’s healthcare system from being overwhelmed.

“We’ve never been chasing after zero, people will continue to contract COVID,” he said.

“There will be seasonal spikes. I guarantee you there will be one this fall, probably starting in mid-October, and some of those people will end up in hospital. Sadly, some of those people will pass away, just as we have dozens of people who die every year from the conventional flu.

“These are different diseases, COVID is more dangerous, but we also have much wider protection in terms of vaccines.”

As the province’s readies to move from Stage 2 to Stage 3 — when all health measures will be removed, two weeks after 70 per cent of Albertans age 12 and up have received a first shot — Kenney said officials are keeping a close eye on spread of the B.1.617 (Delta) variant, first identified in India.

An outbreak of the variant is ongoing at Foothills hospital in Calgary.

EDMONTON — The company tasked with building and maintaining Edmonton’s latest addition to its light rail transit network has released a more precise completion target for the southeast Valley Line LRT. 

In an interview with CTV News Edmonton on Monday, an official for TranEd said the $1.8-billion project has now reached its safety and communications systems testing phase and that he expects the new line will be operational by late 2021.

“Right now we’re looking at a year delay from the original date,” said TransEd spokesperson Dallas Lindskoog.

“We’ve got a team of individuals testing every single component of the system that we built,” he said. “Most of them are installed now, so they’re testing those wires and the connectivity.” 

The roughly two-dozen trains are all in place for the low-floor transit system. The track has been laid – but the finer details are still in the works. 

Lindskoog said the Tawatinâ Bridge, which crosses the North Saskatchewan River, is “progressing nicely.”

“We’ve gotten past the actual construction of the concrete work, the cables, all of that is complete,” he said. “The rail is across the bridge, all the overhead catenary system that you see… is installed.”

Up next for that section, said Lindskoog, is the bridge’s underslung shared-use path and the reestablishment of the trail network in the river valley.

“In order to get that done though we’ve still got some work to do in the parks,” he said. “We’ve got to reestablish Louise McKinney Park and Henrietta Muir Park as well.”

The new line’s twin tunnels’ southern portal is located at Louise McKinney Park.

According to Lindskoog, TransEd has a “contractural requirement” to complete the bridge’s pedestrian walkway, as well as cosmetic features such as landscaping, before launching the new LRT line for public use.

“We don’t want a whole bunch of leftover work as well,” he said. “We want the system completely turned over. All of the roads, all of the landscaping, all of the rail – when the train goes into operation.”

Originally slated to open by the end of 2020, construction on the 13.1-kilometre line has met its share of challenges.

The first major snag came in 2018, when construction crews encountered a large concrete mass in the North Saskatchewan riverbed. That discovery meant work on the Valley Line’s Tawatinâ Bridge was delayed and caused subsequent ripple effects on the rest of the project.

DELAYS DUE TO COVID-19: TRANSED

“We’ve been trying to make up time since that encounter with the concrete,” said Lindskoog, “and then the pandemic landed. We’ve been trying to make up for some of the efficiencies that we’ve lost there.”

“Working with a mask on, working and maintaining distance is challenging,” he said.

Lindskoog pointed to worker absenteeism due to pandemic-related family issues as one cause of construction delays.

“We’ve had very little positive cases of COVID on the project,” he added. 

According to the TransEd spokesperson, the project also faced supply issues for building materials because of COVID-19.

FINISHING TOUCHES

One major aspect of the southeast Valley Line is the twin tunnels that runs from 102 Avenue and 96 Street to Louise McKinney Park, beneath Edmonton’s Quarters district. 

Lindskoog said finishing touches are being completed on those, as well as the elevated platform known as Davies Station – which will include a full Park & Ride and a transit centre.

The TransEd spokesperson believes, once complete, his company’s signaling system won’t face any of the hiccups that plagued Edmonton’s Metro LRT line in 2017.

Assuming there are no further setbacks, by 2022, Edmontonians can expect the 11-stop electric rail line to be available to transport them from millwoods to the city’s downtown – and vice versa – in about 30 minutes.

TransEd will begin testing trains on Connors Hill and the new Tawatinâ Bridge this summer.

The $1.64-billion Stage 2 of the Valley Line LRT will see construction of the west section which will run from 102 Street to Lewis Farms.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s David Ewasuk