By rdnewsNOW staff

daily update

‘Concerning’ number of Alberta COVID-19 cases from community transmission: Hinshaw

Mar 31, 2020 | 3:59 PM

The Government of Alberta has provided its latest update on COVID-19 transmission in the province.

Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw says 754 Albertans have contracted the virus, an increase of 64 from Monday.

One more death related to COVID-19 has been confirmed. The patient was from the Calgary Health Zone at the McKenzie Towne Long Term Care facility.

Nine Albertans have now died as a result of the virus. Another 120 Albertans have recovered from COVID-19.

Dr. Hinshaw says the most concerning statistic is that nearly one-in-10 cases of COVID-19 in the province (75) are due to community transmission.

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“This is concerning,” she said.

77 of Alberta’s total COVID-19 cases are healthcare workers who had either returned from travel or who attended a curling bonspiel in Edmonton in early March. None were related directly to the care they were providing their patients.

The number of cases in the Central zone is 51, an increase of five from Monday.

Red Deer has had 20 cases, an increase of three over yesterday. Red County has seen seven cases, Lacombe region 3, Innisfail 1, Ponoka 1, Stettler region 1 and Olds 2.

“We are all in this together and now more than ever, kindness matters,” Hinshaw says.

Guidance will be released in the coming days how community organizations and not-for-profits can continue to work while keeping staff, volunteers and communities safe.

Hinshaw also had a message for younger people.

“Even if you don’t have a chronic health condition, you need to make sure that you’re protecting yourself against COVID-19, Because even if you yourself have a mild illness, you could spread that disease to others and continue to be a part of having disease spread in your community could be a link to having other people who get severe illness.”

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BY THE NUMBERS:

COVID-19 Cases have been identified in all zones across the province:

– 453 cases in the Calgary zone, 187 cases in the Edmonton zone, 51 cases in the Central zone, 50 cases in the North zone, 12 cases in the South zone, one case in a zone that is yet to be confirmed.

– Of these cases, there are currently 26 people in hospital, with 11 admitted to intensive care units (ICU).

– In total, there have been 49 hospitalizations, with 17 admissions to ICUs

– 75 of the 754 cases are suspected of being community acquired.

– 77 confirmed cases involve health-care workers, including staff in continuing care facilities.

– There are now a total of 120 confirmed recovered cases.

– There are a total of nine deaths in Alberta – five in the Calgary zone, three in the Edmonton zone, and one in the North zone.