Madam Speaker, I am sharing my time tonight, although I will be honest that I do not know who I am sharing it with.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Canadians have come together, made sacrifices and done their part to help limit the spread of the virus. Public health experts have provided Canadians with important information and advice on COVID-19.
At the same time, the Government of Canada has taken steps to help Canadians stay home, put food on the table, keep their jobs and help businesses stay afloat. Canada's COVID-19 economic response plan has helped protect millions of jobs, provide emergency support to families and keep businesses afloat throughout the pandemic. Healthy people are at the centre of a strong economy. That is why the health and safety of all Canadians remains our top priority.
The situation remains challenging in some parts of the country. As COVID-19 activity continues in Canada, we are tracking a range of epidemiological indicators to monitor where the disease is most active, where it is spreading and how it is impacting the health of Canadians, and public health's laboratory and health care capacity.
Alberta is in the middle of a third wave right now. The situation regarding COVID-19 in Alberta is of utmost importance to the federal government, and although I am an Ontario member of Parliament, I understand the predicament, because we are experiencing the same thing here at home. I would like to note the current situation to give some context to this debate.
As members know, Alberta currently has the highest active case rate in either Canada or the U.S. The current active COVID-19 case total stands at 23,623, which is the highest ever. The daily COVID-19 case counts have topped the 1,000 mark for almost a month. Alberta's test positivity rate is now 13.2%, its highest ever, which means one in eight Albertans tested positive for COVID-19.
Yesterday, Alberta reported 1,743 new cases, including a very large percentage of variant cases. This is a situation that is very serious, to put it mildly. We are greatly concerned to see that Alberta currently has the highest per capita case rate anywhere in Canada. In Alberta, elevated infection rates continue to impact COVID-19 severity indicators, particularly in areas with sustained high levels of disease activity.
We are monitoring the spread of new variants in the province, as well as the strain put on public health resources with nearly 700 people in hospital with COVID-19 and more than 150 of those in intensive care.
Premier Kenney announced new COVID-19 restrictions yesterday. These included transition to restaurant takeout service only, closure of personal care businesses and a shift to online learning for all students from May 7 to May 25.
However, there is hope. Mass vaccination is proceeding and accelerating. I am heartened to note that Alberta has administered more than 1.6 million doses of vaccine provided by the federal government, exceeding the 30% first dose coverage. Since May 4, teachers, child care workers and support staff in Alberta are eligible to book COVID-19 vaccine appointments. Alberta is also targeting vaccines in hot spot areas. This includes oil sand work camps in Fort McMurray and Wood Buffalo region, as well as oil sand workers in Calgary.
Earlier today, Premier Kenney announced that starting on May 6, every Albertan 30 years of age and older can be vaccinated. By May 10, every Albertan 12 and older will be eligible for vaccination.
Unfortunately, as our public health authorities consistently remind us, vaccines are not a replacement for strong public health measures, at least not in the short term. The key to reducing the number of cases is to reduce the number of transmissions. To do this, we must have clear enforced measures to discourage social contact and mobility.
We know the majority of Albertans support listening to advice of public health experts and support taking the steps necessary to protect their friends, family and neighbours. The federal government is providing assistance to Alberta for testing and contact tracing and surge support in first nation communities.
There have been 47 vaccination clinics established in the 47 first nation communities in Alberta and 56% of adults from first nations have had at least one shot and 25% have had a second dose.
In addition to vaccines, our government has supported the people of Alberta by expanding access to rapid testing. More than three million rapid tests have been shipped by the federal government to the province of Alberta. The province has deployed more than two million of these tests and recently eased requirements so it is easier for businesses of all sizes to implement workplace testing programs.
The federal government has also shipped rapid testing supplies directly to a number of large employers in Alberta free of charge, including Telus, TransMountain, Sunterra Farms, Rio Tinto, J.D. Irving and Loblaws. We also have 41 Statistics Canada contact tracers working with Alberta health authorities to try to trace and stem the spread of COVID-19.
We support the efforts of the people of Alberta to fight this virus. The federal government stands ready to support Alberta's citizens and Alberta's health care workers in any way we can. The Government of Canada stands ready to provide additional support to Alberta should it be requested by the province.
We continue to manage the impacts of the pandemic while preparing for future waves. This includes steps to ensure Canadians can access future treatment and vaccines. To help prevent future waves of the virus, we will continue to ensure we have personal protective equipment, a strong health care system and the right measures to limit the spread of the virus.
We must also look for early warning signs so we can quickly respond to future waves. Our country's recovery from the pandemic will take time. Canadians must continue to be careful and listen to the advice of our public health experts. The pandemic has offered an opportunity to think about what really matters in our communities, engage in meaningful conversations about taking care of those around us and reflect on the kind of future we want to build. Together we will build a fair and more resilient Canada that works for everyone.
I have been listening to many of the speeches tonight. I have not listened to all of them, but I think I have heard it all. Unfortunately, we work now in a sound bite world, which is unfortunate, because sometimes I think the only time we can have a truly meaningful debate is if we turn the cameras off.
We are talking tonight about Alberta and about helping our fellow Canadians who live in Alberta. I have friends in Alberta. If we want to have a meaningful discussion, for the rest of the night we have to stop pointing fingers and laying blame. People can point fingers at us and repeat things we said earlier that contradict what we may be doing today and may happen tomorrow. I am sure members could point some things out that I said tonight. I could spend time going through the opposition's speeches and everything they have said over the past months and find all kinds of inconsistencies. It might be entertaining but it is of absolutely no use whatsoever. It is an evolving situation and we need to work together to try to make this better.