Here is a summary of today’s #COVID19AB update. 103 cases have been identified in the last 24 hours and more than 9,200 tests were completed. There are now 1,084 active cases. 43 people are in hospital w/12 in ICUs. (1/13)

I am reporting 1 additional death today. It is tempting to become numbed to these numbers, yet each represents a person who has left behind grieving family & friends. I offer my condolences to all who are grieving losses of any kind right now. (2/13)

Shame is a common theme being reported by contact tracers who are talking with people who test positive & their contacts. This worries me. The more COVID-19 drives shame, the harder it is to prevent. Shame drives people to hide or cover up what they are ashamed of. (3/13)

Living with COVID-19 is hard. Many cases & outbreaks we are investigating have been triggered by a series of unfortunate events. I confess that I sometimes forget to sanitize my hands after opening a door & touching the handle. None of us is perfect. We all make mistakes. (4/13)

We’re all trying the best we can, but 1 slip at the wrong time & place can lead to transmission. We must be compassionate with those who test positive. We must support those who have even mild symptoms to stay home & away from others w/o shame. Our success depends on this. (5/13)

I know many have questions & worries about AB’s school re-entry plan. Some may wonder why we would reopen schools. My answer is we must look at the overall health of our population & everything that contributes to health. We know a great deal more now than 6 months ago. (6/13)

The Canadian Pediatric Society, the American Academy of Pediatrics and other pediatric organizations agree a safe return to school is critical to the physical and mental health and well-being of students & families. (7/13)

My recommendations were based on a review of all available evidence. I looked at data on infection rates & transmission patterns by age & models of school closure & the impacts of community transmission levels on school reopening in other countries. This review told us: (8/13)

If children are infected they’re more likely to be mildly sick and fewer are hospitalized. Infections particularly in young children don’t seem to drive community transmission. This was true in Sweden where elementary schools never closed and Finland where schools closed. (9/13)

Younger children seem less likely than adults to infect others while older children seem to transmit infection more similar to adults. This was seen in high school outbreaks in France and Israel where elementary schools in similar areas did not experience the same. (10/13)

As a parent, I have decided the value of in school learning outweighs the risks for my family. That’s why I’m sending my children back to school in September. But there is no wrong decision, each family must make the best choice for their situation. (11/13)

School authorities have worked to provide options to support learning. Regardless of your choice, taking precautions is our new normal for all ages. Together we can help children reclaim their educational & social development & minimize risk to students & staff. (12/13)

Today we are also posting updated guidance on how we will respond to students or staff who have symptoms in school & protocols if cases are identified in school. This can be found at http://alberta.ca/k-to-12-school-re-entry-2020-21-school-year.aspx. I hope this will help answer questions we have been receiving. (13/13)