By Troy Gillard

NUMBERS ON THE RISE

Red Deer with 9 confirmed COVID-19 cases

Mar 23, 2020 | 4:56 PM

The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Red Deer has risen to nine.

It’s a jump of six new cases from Sunday’s total and the largest single-day rise in Red Deer novel coronavirus cases to date.

According to the province’s online map, five of the cases are in the city’s east end while four are in the southwest.

The number of cases in the Central zone is now 17.

The town of Innisfail now has its first confirmed case of COVID-19. Red Deer County and the town of Olds remain with one case each.

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The number of COVID-19 cases in Alberta is now at 301, an increase of 42 from Sunday. Eighteen of the 301 cases have resulted in hospitalization, seven of those in the ICU. There have been no additional deaths and the number of recoveries remains at three.

Officials suspect up to 11 of these cases may be community transmission.

Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s chief medical officer, also announced a decrease in the self-isolation guidelines.

“We’ve updated our self-isolation time for those who are sick from 14 to 10 days following the onset of symptoms,” she said. “The most updated medical evidence indicates that if you are feeling well after the onset of mild symptoms like sore throat, runny nose or cough, you will be able to stop self-isolation again provided your symptoms have resolved. If symptoms continue past 10 days, self-isolation should as well.”

Hinshaw said those who are well and have had an exposure of concern such as travellers returning from outside of Canada or those who have had close contact with a confirmed case, will still need to self-isolate for 14 days upon their return or after their last exposure as a precaution. If those people start to experience symptoms they must follow the same 10-day guidelines, Hinshaw said.

“Even mild symptoms – minor sore throat or runny nose can result in spread,” she said. “Commonly touched surfaces like a serving spoon at a buffet can be a mechanism for spread. COVID-19 does not discriminate. All of us need to be vigilant with regular hand washing, staying home even with minor respiratory symptoms and keeping unwashed hands well away from our faces.”

(With file from Chris Brown, CHAT News Today)