You can now get tested for COVID-19 even if you don't have symptoms if you work outside the home in Calgary

Alberta health authorities are expanding COVID-19 testing in the Calgary zone to include people who don't have symptoms but work outside the home because the area has had more than twice the number of cases of the rest of the province combined.

Calgary has 4,278 confirmed cases of the province's 6,300 cases, not counting recoveries, as of Monday afternoon's daily briefing from the province. That's more than twice what the rest of the province has reported.

"We will be offering extra testing in Calgary as we are still seeing higher case numbers there than the rest of the province," Dr. Deena Hinshaw said in her daily provincial update.

"While we don't know how much asymptomatic spread may contribute to transmission in a population, we know it is possible."

1 week of testing,up to 1,000 people daily

Starting Monday, on a first-come, first-serve basis, the province will offer one week of COVID-19 testing for up to 1,000 people in the Calgary zone each day who do not have symptoms but work outside the home.

Hinshaw says that 1,000 number is to ensure people who are sick can still get timely testing.

"It is possible if someone has had an exposure that they could test negative but go on to get sick later," she said.

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"Offering testing to this group of people will give us more information about COVID-19 in Calgary at this point in time."

Hinshaw asked Calgarians who fit the revised criteria to use the web assessment to register.

"Please do not call 811 unless you are feeling sick," she said.