By Troy Gillard

MONDAY UPDATE

More than 1,000,000 Albertans tested for COVID-19

Sep 28, 2020 | 3:57 PM

Roughly one-quarter of Albertans have now been tested for COVID-19.

Tyler Shandro, the province’s health minister, shared Monday that more than one million people in the province have been tested for the novel coronavirus.

The province completed 51,264 tests over the last three days, including 18,581 on Sunday.

Alberta reported 406 new cases of COVID-19 over the weekend, including 60 on Friday (Sept. 25), 184 on Saturday and 162 on Sunday.

The total number of COVID-19 cases across the province stands at 17,749. There are 1,549 active cases, up 52 from Friday, and 15,935 recovered cases, up 350.

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There are currently 63 Albertans in hospital, 15 in ICU. There have been 265 deaths, an increase of four from Friday.

In Red Deer there are now five active cases, down by one from Friday’s report, and 103 recoveries.

There are three active cases in Red Deer County, one in Sylvan Lake, one in Lacombe County, five in Ponoka County, and eight in Mountain View County (including one in the Olds area).

Shandro said Alberta has the strongest and most dynamic testing program in the country.

“While other provinces have faced massive lineups or consistently narrow testing criteria, Alberta has been a leader,” he said. He praised the early efforts of Alberta Health Services to order lab supplies, offer asymptomatic testing and work with community pharmacies to increase capacity.

He said work to speed up testing and expand capacity further will continue.

Dr. Deena Hinshaw provided her update via video after she developed a sore throat on last week.

“As I have said many times, it is important to stay home when sick and get tested even if the symptoms are mild,” she said, adding her COVID test was negative and she will be working from home until her symptoms resolve.

She asked people to follow her lead, but acknowledged not everyone can do their job remotely.

“I know that staying home is not easy and that many Albertans face difficult financial or other choices. Most of us have worked with sore throats or runny noses many, many times. However, during COVID that’s not a risk that I or anyone else should take.”

The chief medical officer of health said the number of Albertans hospitalized and in ICU has risen in the past week due in part to the outbreak at the Foothills Medical Centre. The numbers remain well within the capacity of the health system.