China is experiencing multiple COVID-19 outbreaks. These outbreaks are caused by the omicron BA.2 subvariant, dubbed “stealth omicron”. Reporting on this subvariant in Alberta is lacking. Produced by Saveta Cartwright.
The vaccine mandate for Edmonton Public School Board staff, which came into place in October 2021, has been suspended. Produced by Hannah Cunningham.
Equinox and Coffee Outside, Friday, March 11, 7-9 a.m. Every Friday morning between 7 and 9 a.m. a group of cyclists and walkers gather at Ezio Farone Park on the north west side of the High-Level Bridge before heading off to their day. It’s a casual gathering of welcoming like-minded folks who like to pause to enjoy the view and each other’s company before getting down to business, whatever that is for them. The park is a central meeting place accessible to all ages and abilities and you are we...
On Tuesday, Edmonton voted to end the mask bylaw. Source: https://www.healthing.ca/news/local-news/edmonton-city-council-mask-bylaw/wcm/96adb2f8-c6e2-4639-aa4a-bb65a6e1b7fa/ Produced by Saveta Cartwright.
24 Hour Movement Guidelines If the weight of the world is getting you down, check out Canada’s first-ever 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Adults to see what a healthy 24 hours looks like for Canadian adults The guidelines focus on how all our movement behaviours integrate together and weave these behaviours with guidance on both sedentary and sleep behaviours. SO HOW MUCH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY SHOULD YOU GET? Some is better than none and include different types of movement at various intensity level...
Today, March 1st, marks the beginning of Alberta’s Phase 2 of moving to an endemic approach to COVID-19. On February 26th, Jason Kenney said that the “vast majority” of public health restrictions would be lifted on March 1st. This includes remaining school requirements, youth screening for entertainment and sport activities, capacity limits at large and entertainment venues, operating restrictions on bars and restaurants, all social gathering limits, and the mandatory work-from-home order. Maski...
Starting this Monday the university's libraries will be back and open with course materials, physical collections and onsite services all again being available. With the provincial mandate changing on Tuesday the university is reminding students and visitors that continued masking in shared indoor spaces is expected. The university will also be suspending the universities travel directive, travellers will still need to assess travel risk for a range of issues from security to covid. The universi...
This Saturday, Premier Jason Kenney will announce if the province will enter phase 2 of the easing of public health restrictions on March 1st. Source: https://www.alberta.ca/covid-19-public-health-actions.aspx Produced by Saveta Cartwright.
On Sunday February 13th, the Alberta Federation of Labor filed a request to challenge the government of Alberta’s decision to lift mask mandates in schools. This challenge was filed on the behalf of five parents with immunocompromised children. The union was also challenging the Education Minister’s announcement that schools would not be able to make their own rules to override the province’s. According to the Alberta Teachers Association, community spread of the virus has not decreased signific...
Announced this week on February 17th, the University President Bill Flanagan confirmed that the university as of February 28th would be suspending its Vaccine Directive. In the update Mr.Flanagan pointed to the high effectiveness of the directive, with 97% of students and 99 percent of staff being fully vaccinated. Personal Health Checks will now replace the directive, as well as face masks continuing to be required across all indoor shared campus spaces. Also coming this week will be a special ...
More Bike Lanes for Edmonton Exciting news for bike commuters! Councillor Ashley Salvador introduced a motion asking Administration to look at options to move up the completion of routes in the Edmonton area to 2026, citing cycling as a viable mode of transportation that can reduce the cost of living for Edmontonians, improve public health, and achieve ambitious emissions reductions targets The motion was passed unanimously by the five voting members of the Urban Development Committee, and as a ...
The research is the first to demonstrate a link between physical activity and the body’s antibody response to the Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine. Source: https://www.healthing.ca/diseases-and-conditions/coronavirus/vaccine-for-coronavirus/exercising-after-vaccination-pumps-up-antibodies-study/ Produced by Saveta Cartwright.
Last week, the Alberta government announced the lifting of many COVID-19 measures that had been in place to prevent the spread of the virus. In phase one of removing protections, masking requirements in schools have been lifted for students of all ages as of yesterday, and outside of schools, children 12 and under will be exempt from masking requirements. If hospitalization rates trend down, phase two will come into place on March 1st. For schools, this would mean any remaining provincial school...
For this weeks campus update we cover the universities new stance on the provincial wide vaccine mandate ending. In the february 8th covid update the university made the statement that the campus would not be changing its safety measures anytime soon, this comes after the premier announced changes to the guidelines earlier that week. Later on the week on the 10th the president of the university, Bill Flanagan made note that masks and campus ready passes will still be a part of the safety measure...
Winter cycling somewhere, possibly to work, day Tomorrow is winter bike somewhere, possibly to work, day and you could win big! To participate you must: Post a photo of yourself cycling or of your bike outside on February 11, 2022 with the hashtag #YEGWinterBikeToWork22 Photos can be posted on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. There is no charge or purchase required to enter the contest. Only one submission is allowed per person on either Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You could win one of 34 gif...
Step 1 of easing measures in Alberta is effective as of February 9th, 2022. Government of Alberta has announced a three-step plan to phase out public health measures. Alberta will enter Step 1 on February 9th, Step 2 on March 1st, and timeline for Step 3 will depend on hospitalization rates continuing to trend downward. Source: https://www.alberta.ca/covid-19-public-health-actions.aspx Produced by Saveta Cartwright.
REACH Edmonton has compiled a large list of COVID-19 resources for Edmontonians, ranging from information about Alberta’s relaunch plan, family activities, food and groceries, Indigenous resources, neighborhood resources, restaurant safety, resources for seniors, and many other topics. In the community database, you can also see which resources have been translated into multiple languages, as well as specific resources for different languages. Link to REACH Edmonton's COVID-19 community resource...
This week the university's student union president released a statement covering the frustration and disappointment students are currently facing with distanced learning and upcoming in person exam questions. Rowan Ley comments covered invasive online proctoring and limitations for international students experiencing network problems and accessibility issues. Rowan also said that this past quarter has been more frustrating than previous with outdated course material and under engagement being a ...
Winter cycling bikes: Getting a bike for winter cycling If you’re interested in trying winter cycling but are unsure as to whether you’ll enjoy it enough to invest in a trendy fat bike, you have a number of options. First, keep in mind that people have been winter cycling for years already by either getting a second bike and changing to winter tires or using the bike they’ve been riding for a while now and changing its tires! If you are interested in trying out a fatbike before you buy one, you ...
Health Canada has authorized two new drugs under the brand name Paxlovid, to treat adults with mild to moderate COVID-19 who are at high risk of progressing to serious disease. Source: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/news/2022/01/health-canada-authorizes-paxlovidtm-for-patients-with-mild-to-moderate-covid-19-at-high-risk-of-developing-serious-disease.html Produced by Saveta Cartwright.
According to Alberta Health minister Jason Maloney, there are fourteen schools in Alberta that have been granted school-wide exemptions from wearing masks, but the province will not reveal the names of these schools. According to interviews done by CBC News, some schools have faced pressure from parents on the topic of masks in schools, with some parents complaining that children who have mask exemptions are not being treated fairly during school. Masks are required for students in Alberta in gr...
For this week's campus news we cover the universities update released on January 28th. Currently with the campus plan of a physical return to campus on February 28th still in the mix, the update did remind readers that only employees who are required to ensure successful operational delivery are expected to return and should have received notice by now with an updated timeline for all other employees expected soon. Also updated was the case and outbreak response plan page where updates to reflec...
Join your friends for Alberta’s annual Winter walk day, Wednesday, February 2, 2022 What is Winter Walk Day you ask? It’s a province-wide event slated to encourage Albertans to participate in at least 15 minutes of outdoor activity on February 2nd, 2022. The outdoor activity can include walking, but it could also include snowshoeing, skiing, or riding your bike. Challenge your neighbours, log your time, bundle up and have fun! It's good for you, your family, your community and the planet. Don't ...
Apabetalone, an Alberta-developed drug, will be studied at the University of Alberta hospital to evaluate the safety and efficacy as a potential oral medication to help prevent severe infection from COVID-19. Source: https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/exciting-breakthrough-covid-19-drug-trial-to-take-place-in-edmonton-1.5752493 Produced by Saveta Cartwright.
Clinics for COVID-19 vaccines will not be made available in Alberta schools, despite school boards such as the Edmonton Public School board requesting them as cases in schools and pediatric hospitalizations continue to rise in the province. Currently, vaccinations for children aged five to eleven are available at one hundred and twenty Alberta Health Services clinics across the province. School trustees who are calling for in-school clinics say that the current locations for child vaccinations a...
For this week's campus update we look to groundbreaking research being done by the university of alberta that could help in future variants, or the next pandemic. The research that was recently published is centered around an anti viral drug called remdesivir. Matthias Gotte, the professor and chair of the department of medical microbiology and immunology noted that it all comes down to how well the drug tricks the polymerase, which in viruses is the engine that is responsible for replication. P...
Activity throughout the month, not just to work! If you’re feeling like you’re just not getting enough activity in riding or walking to work or would like to check something out during daylight hours, consider walking or wheeling to various events around Edmonton this month. Things you can check out include: The Deep Freeze: which is a Byzantine Winter Festival that features a mix of Ukrainian traditions, Francophone history and Indigenous cultural performances. The festival includes a wide sele...
As cases of COVID-19 continue to rise in Alberta, as do teacher and educational assistant absences from schools, resulting in unfilled teaching positions. According to an article by Global News, as of Monday morning this week, approximately five hundred and eighty were absent from the Edmonton Public School Systems, and over one hundred positions were unfilled. There were over three hundred educational assistants absent, resulting in almost two hundred unfilled positions. In answer to the call f...
On Friday January 14th President Flanagan of the university of alberta announced a continuation of online based learning for the u of a until February 28, three days after reading week ends. Continued safety measures will continue like onecard access being necessary for accessing campus buildings, and research, grad student training and rec services being done with physical distancing. Also announced was a new deadline of this Friday January 21st to delete any new classes, students wishing to ad...
City funding for Active Transportation and the importance of layers! Recently, City Council approved $4 million to be put towards our nearly one hundred kilometres of missing sidewalk spaces, unsafe crossings and gaps in bike paths. This work will be done this year and next and is in line with both the city's vision of a 15-minute community and its climate goals. The city will also be considering its snow and ice removal processes, particularly in light of climate-change oriented weather conditi...
