By Troy Gillard

One more case in Red Deer

COVID-19 outbreaks at nine continuing care centres in Alberta: Hinshaw

Apr 2, 2020 | 4:07 PM

Alberta’s chief medical officer has announced 97* new cases of COVID-19 in the province, bringing the total to 968.

Dr. Deena Hinshaw says there has also been two more deaths in the province, a man in his nineties in the Calgary zone and a man in his eighties in the North zone, bringing Alberta’s total to 13.

Thirty-two more Albertans have now recovered from COVID-19, bringing that total to 174.

The Central zone now has 59 cases of COVID-19, an increase of two from Wednesday. Red Deer has seen one additional case for a total of 24. Red Deer County has seen eight cases, Lacombe 3, Olds 2, Ponoka 1, Innisfail 1 and Stettler and county 1.

Now that an earlier testing backlog has been dealt with, Alberta has been able to test more than 4,000 people in the past 24 hours, Hinshaw says, with 98 per cent of the tests coming back negative.

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Community transmissions continue to be a concern, as Hinshaw noted 108 cases to be suspected to be a result of it.

With outbreaks in nine continuing care centres across the province the chief medical officer of health issued new standards for operators and staff in the event of any suspected case at those facilities. The standards, enforceable by law, will help keep everyone as physically safe as possible and will mitigate the risk of further spread within and between facilities.

Staff and operators will be required to notify public health as soon as a cases is suspected or confirmed, and if two or more residents exhibit COVID-like symptoms,” says Hinshaw.

Staff who may work at multiple facilities are required, when there is a confirmed outbreak, to immediately inform their supervisors if they have worked at or are working at a facility where there is a confirmed or suspected case, Hinshaw said.

Hinshaw again stressed the basics of how to prevent the spread of the virus.

“If you are feeling ill in any way, stay home. Practice physical distancing whenever you are out in public. Continue to practice good hygiene by frequently washing your hands with soap and water. I cannot stress enough how important these measure are. COVID-19 is spread by close contact, which means everyone of us must do our part in breaking the chain of transmission and keeping ourselves and others safe.”

More aggressive measures such as shelter-in-place – where the entire population is asked to stay at home except for essential business – are still a possibility.

“Our advice to date has gotten quite close to that,” says Hinshaw, also noting the possibility of closing provincial boundaries at some point.

Hinshaw says there have been no confirmed cases on First Nations reserves in Alberta and praised various health services that have ben working together to keep those communities safe.

She also cautioned those who see no benefit to the modelling, projections and measures being enacted. She said what is being seen in places like New York City, Italy and Spain is what we would be seen in Alberta if we weren’t taking the steps we are.

“This is not influenza, this is something that no one has immunity to and has a higher rate of hospitalization and death than influenza does. (The modelling) helps people understand the importance of the measures we’re taking.”

(With file from Chris Brown, CHAT News Today)

*Alberta Health corrected the daily increase from 96 to 97