Fort Saskatchewan received some good news with the latest COVID-19 update.
 
On Tuesday (Dec.29), Premier Jason Kenney announced that 16,900 doses of the Moderna vaccine are arriving in the province.
 
One of the first shipments is set to arrive in Fort Saskatchewan to vaccinate residents and staff at the Rivercrest Care Centre, which has been on outbreak status since Dec.1 and has reported eight deaths. 
 
Long-term care homes across Edmonton, Calgary, St. Paul, Medicine Hat, Lethbridge, Grande Prairie and Red Deer will also be receiving shipments.
 
Moderna's vaccine was just recently approved by Health Canada and does not need to be stored in ultra-cold temperatures like the Pfizer vaccine. Therefore, it is easier to transport and immediately get into long-term care facilities. 
 
Kenney added the vaccinations are on track to hit the next phases as planned; with seniors aged 75 and over,  as well as First Nations on reserve, Inuit and on-settlement Metis individuals aged 65 and over likely being targeted in February.
 
Phase two is still expected to start by April 2021 and will be targeted to the next groups of prioritized populations, which are still to be announced. 
 
Phase three will involve rolling out vaccinations to the general Alberta population and is anticipated to start later in 2021.
 
Over 7,000 Pfizer vaccines will have been administered to health care workers throughout the province by end-of-day.
 
Provincial cases
 
As for case numbers, Alberta recorded 879 new cases on Tuesday. The overall active total now sits at 14,785.
 
There are 890 people in hospital with 153 of them in the ICU, and 26 more deaths bring the province's death toll up to 1,028. 
 
Local cases 
 
For the local area, the first number is active cases on Monday (Dec.28), while the second is the current updated total for Tuesday:          
 
- Fort Saskatchewan: 57 cases - 56 cases
- Sherwood Park: 188 cases - 171 cases
- Strathcona County: 58 cases - 55 cases
- Sturgeon County: 72 cases - 68 cases
- Morinville: 68 cases - 66 cases
- Lamont County: 12 cases - 11 cases 
 
Morinville has reported its fourth virus-related death.