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COVID-19 live updates: Pfizer-funded talks contained untrue information about rival vaccines; Oilers games postponed until after Christmas; Edmonton couple recalls struggle to return from South Africa

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Looks over at the downtown Edmonton skyline, Friday Dec. 17, 2021. An extreme cold warning has been issued for the Edmonton region. With the windchill it felt like -33. Photo by David Bloom
Looks over at the downtown Edmonton skyline, Friday Dec. 17, 2021. An extreme cold warning has been issued for the Edmonton region. With the windchill it felt like -33. Photo by David Bloom Photo by David Bloom /Postmedia
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With COVID-19 news changing every day, we have created this file to keep you up-to-date on all the latest stories and information in and around Edmonton.

12:47 p.m.

Edmonton Oilers close training facility through Christmas break; Nurse Lagesson added to COVID protocol

Bruce McCurdy

Truth is Nurse, who is very much in the running for a Canadian Olympic team spot on the left side of Jon Cooper’s defence, will see the ice crack before he does
Truth is Nurse, who is very much in the running for a Canadian Olympic team spot on the left side of Jon Cooper’s defence, will see the ice crack before he does Photo by Ian Kucerak /Postmedia

Neither the Edmonton Oilers nor their top affiliate Bakersfield Condors are currently scheduled to play a game until a week from today, but that doesn’t stop the bad news from streaming in:

Defencemen Darnell Nurse and Darnell Nurse are the latest Oilers to join the ever-growing COVID protocol list, which now includes 7 players and head coach Dave Tippett. Previous announcements trickled in one at a time last week, involving Ryan McLeod , Devin Shore , Ryan Nugent-Hopkins , Duncan Keith and Jesse Puljujarvi . Then on Sunday came the announcement that the Oilers’ three remaining games before Christmas had been postponed due to a decision by the NHL (and perhaps other authorities) to temporarily stop cross-border travel. With some 8 teams already ruled out of action, just 10 of 35 scheduled games this week remain on the slate. That dwindling number can only go down from here, and probably will.

Defencemen Darnell Nurse and Darnell Nurse are the latest Oilers to join the ever-growing COVID protocol list, which now includes 7 players and head coach Dave Tippett. Previous announcements trickled in one at a time last week, involving Ryan McLeod , Devin Shore , Ryan Nugent-Hopkins , Duncan Keith and Jesse Puljujarvi . Then on Sunday came the announcement that the Oilers’ three remaining games before Christmas had been postponed due to a decision by the NHL (and perhaps other authorities) to temporarily stop cross-border travel. With some 8 teams already ruled out of action, just 10 of 35 scheduled games this week remain on the slate. That dwindling number can only go down from here, and probably will.

How this closure will affect the ongoing testing process, and by extension the dates that players who might test positive in future might be available to return, is unknown. Suffice to say that a return by Dec 27 is already in doubt and likely not in the competitive interests of the team.

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11:38 a.m.

Alberta Health working ‘as fast as we can’ to restock COVID rapid test after busy first weekend

Jonny Wakefield

OTTAWA – DEC. 16, 2021 –Elizabeth Mavor tries out the new rapid antigen tests for COVID-19 that are being distributed for free.Julie Oliver/POSTMEDIA
OTTAWA – DEC. 16, 2021 –Elizabeth Mavor tries out the new rapid antigen tests for COVID-19 that are being distributed for free.Julie Oliver/POSTMEDIA Photo by Julie Oliver /Postmedia

Alberta Health says it is racing to restock pharmacies and clinics with free COVID-19 rapid tests after the initial rollout saw some Albertans go home empty handed.

Premier Jason Kenney announced plans last week to distribute half a million COVID-19 antigen test kits as a means of mitigating spread over the holiday season.

The province started its rollout Friday, distributing tests to 700 pharmacies in Edmonton, Calgary and Red Deer and 140 Alberta Health Services sites in smaller communities.

The distribution program had a rocky start in some areas, with pharmacies in Edmonton and Calgary reporting long lineups to claim the coveted kits.

Some locations  ran out of tests on the first day of distribution.

In an email Monday, Alberta Health spokeswoman Lisa Glover said they are “resupplying and (expanding) as fast as we can get supply from the federal government.”

“On top of the 2.5 million tests (500,000 kits) distributed initially, we have two million more tests on hand that will be distributed in the coming days, and another one million additional tests (200,000 kits) with confirmed shipping dates later this month.”

Source: EdmontonJournal

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