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With news on COVID-19 happening rapidly, we’ve created this page to bring you our latest stories and information on the outbreak in and around Calgary.

What’s happening now

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7:10 p.m.

As Alberta looks to reopen the economy this week, the provincial government reported 96 new cases of COVID-19, an additional death and 185 confirmed recoveries Sunday.

The first phase of the economic relaunch is tentatively set to begin Thursday with the reopening of retail businesses such as clothing, furniture and bookstores, farmers’ market vendors and some personal services like hair salons and barbershops. Cafes, restaurants, pubs, bars, museums and art galleries, daycares and some outdoor recreation facilities could open — with limited capacity.

Alberta Health Services reported a total number of 1,747 active cases in the province, including the 96 newly documented cases. This is out of the 6,253 total cases that have been confirmed since the first cases were detected in early March.

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6:00 p.m.

Cargill failed to engage workers during COVID-19 investigation: review

Cargill failed to engage worker representation during its investigation into the largest COVID-19 outbreak in the province, a review from Alberta Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) found.

There are now 952 COVID-19 cases to date at the meat-processing plant in High River, about 65 kilometres south of Calgary, representing over 15 per cent of Alberta’s total cases. It is the biggest outbreak at a single facility in Canada.

Under the provincial OHS Act, employers are required to investigate in conjunction with the joint work site health and safety committee. OHS investigators said provided documents and conversations with Cargill representatives revealed they were not following the mandatory procedure, in a report obtained by Postmedia.

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Thomas Hesse, president of UFCW Local 401, which represents workers at the meat processing facility, said the findings further erode trust by the public and workers in Cargill’s ability to protect its roughly 2,000 workers.

Read more.

5:00 p.m.

Calgary malls prepare to reopen, retail industry forever changed from COVID-19

As some Calgary shopping malls prepare to open as early as this week, leadership across the retail industry have been planning and working on determining the best way to do so while ensuring the safety of customers, staff and tenants.

Under the provincial government’s Relaunch Strategy, Stage 1, which starts May 14, will allow some retail businesses, such as clothing, furniture and books, to reopen with certain restrictions.

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Besides increasing cleaning protocol, instituting social distancing measures and hiring more staff and security to ensure patrons are sticking to the rules, Calgary’s biggest retail destinations are having to come to terms with the new normal of in-person shopping.

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3:45 p.m.

One additional death, 96 new cases in Alberta

One more Albertan has died due to COVID-19, bringing the province’s death toll to 117, the province announced Sunday.

Ninety-six new cases were reported in the province, bringing Alberta’s total number of cases up to 6,253. Of those, 4,389 people have recovered — just over 70 per cent. There remain 1,747 active cases in the province, the bulk of which, 1,159 — or just over 66 per cent — are in Calgary.

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There are currently 71 people in hospital, with 13 people requiring intensive care.

To date, 687 cases came from an unknown exposure, according to the province.

In continuing care facilities, there have been 722 cases in total. Eighty-four residents have died.

In meat-processing plants, there are 58 active cases at the Cargill plant in High River, with 893 recoveries; 82 active cases at JBS in Brooks, with 520 recoveries; and 17 active cases at Harmony Beef, with 21 recoveries.

In the past 24 hours, 4,186 tests have been completed. There have been 185,293 tests performed in total.

12:45 p.m.

Family members create Mother’s Day parade outside seniors residence

Family members decorated their vehicles in celebration of their moms and grandmothers and drove past the Amica Britannia seniors residence in Calgary as residents waved. Postmedia photographer Gavin Young captured these images of the event.

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11:30 a.m.

Canada posts one of its smallest daily increases in coronavirus deaths

The total number of people killed by the coronavirus in Canada rose by 2.2% to 4,728 on Sunday, one of the lowest daily increases since the outbreak started, official public health agency data showed.

“We have come a long way in a short time since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared and our efforts have undoubtedly prevented wider spread of the virus across the country,” chief public health officer Theresa Tam said in a statement.

The figure for those diagnosed with the coronavirus rose to 67,996. On Saturday there were 4,628 deaths and 66,780 positive diagnoses.

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9:00 a.m.

Another Cargill plant closes after COVID-19 outbreak

A Cargill meat-processing plant south of Montreal is closing temporarily after at least 64 workers tested positive for COVID-19, marking the second time the company has experienced an outbreak at one of its facilities in Canada.

A spokeswoman for the union representing the workers says the plant in Chambly, Que., will close as of Wednesday so all its workers can be tested.

Roxanne Larouche says 171 workers were sent home last week as a preventative measure, and 30 of them have tested negative.

She says the workplace had implemented safety measures for employees, including installing plexiglass between workers where possible, staggering arrival and departure times and providing masks, visors and safety glasses.

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ACargill beef-packing plant in High River reopened last Monday after a two-week shutdown.

More than 900 of 2,000 workers at that plant have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

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7:30 a.m.

New moms on the challenges of raising a baby during a pandemic

Welcoming a newborn into the world is overwhelming as it is, but doing so during a global pandemic is unheard of in modern times.

Calgary parents Jamie and Stuart Gradon have started calling their four-month-old son “bunker baby” as they grapple with the new reality of pandemic parenting, which they say is a lot like normal parenting but with a twist.

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“It has been a really wonderful experience but you throw a global pandemic in the mix and it’s a bit bizarre,” said Jamie.

“It’s basically the same on one hand for what you think about having a new baby: lots of diapers, lots of crying, lots of puke, lots of late nights but we’re also doing it totally on our own. We understand the importance of the pandemic and the virus and we’re happy to do what we need to do but that also means our little guy hasn’t met so much of our family.”

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7:00 a.m.

Physical distancing upending Mother’s Day tradition

A lot of moms across Canada will be missing their hugs and kisses this Mother’s Day because of physical distancing rules and guidelines.

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The COVID-19 pandemic will make this year’s celebration of mothers unlike any other for most people, but especially those in long-term care facilities, barred from any physical contact with family members.

Many moms will be receiving the traditional messages of love and gratitude by remote means, or from the other side of glass barriers.

Federal officials issued dire warnings yesterday about the dangers to long-term care residents if COVID-19 restrictions are lifted too quickly.

4:00 a.m.

The latest numbers on COVID-19 in Canada

The latest numbers of confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases in Canada as of 4 a.m.

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There are 67,702 confirmed and presumptive cases in Canada.

— Quebec: 36,986 confirmed (including 2,786 deaths, 9,268 resolved)

— Ontario: 19,944 confirmed (including 1,599 deaths, 14,383 resolved)

— Alberta: 6,157 confirmed (including 116 deaths, 4,204 resolved)

— British Columbia: 2,330 confirmed (including 129 deaths, 1,659 resolved)

— Nova Scotia: 1,011 confirmed (including 47 deaths, 743 resolved)

— Saskatchewan: 553 confirmed (including 6 deaths, 340 resolved)

— Manitoba: 273 confirmed (including 7 deaths, 247 resolved), 11 presumptive

— Newfoundland and Labrador: 261 confirmed (including 3 deaths, 244 resolved)

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— New Brunswick: 120 confirmed (including 118 resolved)

— Prince Edward Island: 27 confirmed (including 27 resolved)

— Repatriated Canadians: 13 confirmed (including 13 resolved)

— Yukon: 11 confirmed (including 11 resolved)

— Northwest Territories: 5 confirmed (including 5 resolved)

— Nunavut: No confirmed cases

— Total: 67,702 (11 presumptive, 67,691 confirmed including 4,693 deaths, 31,262 resolved)

-Canadian Press

Saturday

Alberta reports 59 new cases on Saturday and one new death

The province released its latest numbers for COVID-19 cases on Saturday afternoon, reporting 59 new cases.

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The number of active cases in the province now sits at 1,837. Of those active cases, 1,202 are in the Calgary zone.

One new death brings the death toll to 116. The latest death was in the Calgary zone.

Read more.

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Saturday

Canada Post says infections at Calgary processing plant were unrelated

Canada Post says it was forthright with the provincial government about COVID-19 cases at its Calgary processing facility, and that it believes the six confirmed cases are unrelated.

On Friday, Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena HInshaw confirmed an outbreak at a Canada Post Processing facility located at 1100 49th Ave. N.E.

In an emailed statement from Canada Post, the corporation said it has informed Alberta Health about all employees who test positive for COVID-19, as well as informing the employees and the union.

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“In working with Alberta Public Health, they’ve informed us they do not believe these cases occurred in the workplace but rather that exposure occurred externally and all cases were unrelated,” read the statement. “The employees were also showing no symptoms when last in the workplace.”

Canada Post says it has brought in measures such as physical distancing and increased sanitation to protect workers. It also says workers who most quarantine are placed on paid leave.

Saturday

Trudeau warns premature reopening could send Canada ‘back into confinement’

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned on Saturday that if provinces move too quickly to reopen their economies, a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic could send Canada “back into confinement this summer.”

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Trudeau, who represents a Montreal, Quebec parliamentary riding, told reporters in a daily briefing that he is concerned about the virus’ spread in that province, the country’s epicenter. He said any reopening should be gradual.

Although health officials have pointed to a flattening rate of daily cases in many provinces, Trudeau said Canada was “not in the recovery phase yet.”

Read more.

Saturday

Calgary nurse flies to Newfoundland to become new father during COVID-19 pandemic

In a time when most Canadians are staying put, Calgary registered nurse Dan Sutherland and his husband Keith hopped on a plane last weekend and flew to the other side of the country.

The circumstances of the trip were exceptional: their first child is expected to be born by the end of the month via a surrogate, a longtime family friend who now lives in Newfoundland. It’s a plan they had in place far before the COVID-19 pandemic emerged.

Read more.