Red Deer with 386 active COVID-19 cases as of Thursday

There are now 682 people hospitalized in the province because of the novel coronavirus, a decrease of three, including 124 people who are receiving intensive care, three more than Wednesday.

Another 13 deaths related to COVID-19 were reported to bring Alberta’s total to 666.

In Red Deer, the number of active COVID-19 cases rose by one to 386. Recovered cases are up by 33 to 509 as the total number of cases attributed to the city rose by 34 to 895.

Red Deer County saw its active case count remain at 98, while Sylvan Lake saw its drop by five to sit at 61.

Clearwater County (Rocky Mountain House) has 75 active cases, an increase of 16.

Lacombe County has 64 active cases as of Thursday, a decrease of two, while Lacombe’s fell by one to 45.

Ponoka County saw its active case count drop by four to sit at 177.

Mountain View County remains with 27 active cases, Olds has 30 and Kneehill County has 13. Starland County has three active cases, while the County of Stettler has 18.

There are now 1,480 active cases across the Central zone, a decrease of 20 from Wednesday, and 55 hospitalizations, a decrease of one. There are five people in the zone currently in intensive care. The Central zone has had 23 deaths related to COVID-19, which is unchanged over the last 24 hours. Recoveries in the Central zone sit at 2,590.

After it was announced on Wednesday that health care workers in Calgary and Edmonton would receive the initial 3,900 doses of the newly approved COVID-19 vaccine starting next week, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, was asked on Thursday when health care workers in the Central zone would receive it.

“We are working very hard with the federal government to make plans for when subsequent doses of vaccine might be available,” she said, “and we anticipate being able to roll out vaccines to other places in the province as soon as more doses arrive. As soon as that information is available and that number has been confirmed, we will be able to share those plans.”

Dr. Hinshaw explained that hospital workers in Calgary and Edmonton were prioritized because “that is where we have the greatest number of active cases, the greatest pressure on our acute care system, and the long-term care and designated supportive living outbreaks that have been the largest, with the greatest number of deaths.”

The Calgary zone has 7,304 active cases as of Thursday, while the Edmonton zone has 9,464.

Hinshaw began her daily update on Thursday by asking Albertans to be caring and supportive to each other, especially those people or groups who happen to contract COVID-19 or be identified as close contacts.

She said she and her team continue to hear reports of communities or ethnic groups being stigmatized, and of health-care workers or their families being singled out as uniquely contagious

“We are all equally at-risk. COVID-19 does not care about a person’s occupation, race or religion. It does not respect postal codes or county lines,” said Hinshaw.

Despite everyone’s best efforts, every one of us has the potential to be exposed, she added.

She also said that every case and every outbreak is identified because people chose to care, not only about themselves but also about the health of their friends and neighbours.

“The responsible thing to do if you’re feeling unwell is to stay home and get tested, she said, and that anyone with a positive test result or who is identified as a close contact of a COVID-19 case should co-operate with health officials and follow their guidance.

(With file from Chris Brown – CHAT News Today)

by Troy Gillard

Red Deer with 386 active COVID-19 cases as of Thursday

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