“The curve is no longer flat,” Dr. Hinshaw says of COVID-19 in Alberta

Hinshaw said the province has completed nearly 28,000 tests since Friday.

There are currently 88 people hospitalized in Alberta because of the virus, including 17 in intensive care.

The number of active cases in Red Deer is down to eight, a decrease of one, and there have been 44 recoveries in the city.

In the Central Zone there are 162 active cases, a decrease of five from Friday, and nearly as many recoveries at 156, up from 128. There are 22 people hospitalized in the zone, including four in intensive care.

Elsewhere in the zone, there are currently 27 active cases in Stettler County (decrease of two), six in Red Deer County (increase of one), five in Sylvan Lake, eight in Lacombe County (decrease of one), one in the city of Lacombe (new), three in Ponoka County, two in Rocky Mountain House, one in Sundre, 11 in Kneehill County and 15 in Starland County.

The map showing the location of all active cases in the province can be found here.

Most of the COVID-19 deaths on the weekend were at a long-term care home in Edmonton and AHS has taken over day-to-day operations at the facility.

Five of the eight deaths over the last three days were linked to an outbreak at the Good Samaritan Southgate Care Centre.

In all, 12 residents there have died and 47 others are infected along with 14 staff members.

Alberta Health Services took over operations on Friday, a move Dr. Hinshaw says was not taken lightly.

“We all need to assess our own lives for where we were at risk of spreading or contracting the virus. All of us can make changes to our daily routines to prevent the spread of COVID,” Hinshaw said.

“We all must take extra precautions any time we are going to be in contact with anyone who lives in a continuing care facility, who is over the age of 65, or who has underlying medical conditions.”

She encouraged the wearing of masks, especially when unable to maintain proper physical distance and in public spaces.

Asked whether the economy is being weighted more heavily than public health, Hinshaw said that health is about more than just avoidance of the virus and that a more assertive approach is being developed for businesses to remain open and keep everyone safe.

A new online assessment tool has been created by Alberta Health for those who are at higher risk of severe outcomes. The tool will help people identify their level of risk for severe outcomes and guide protection decisions.

The chief medical officer of health also announced My Health Records, a secure online portal for Albertans to see their health records and get quicker test results.

She said Alberta health is working hard to shorten the time between testing and results and connect those who have the virus or are contacts of cases to the public health teams.

(With file from Chris Brown – CHAT News Today)

by Troy Gillard

“The curve is no longer flat,” Dr. Hinshaw says of COVID-19 in Alberta

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