By Josh Hall

first case of UK variant found

Alberta hits grim COVID-19 deaths milestone

Dec 28, 2020 | 4:24 PM

Over the last five days, 112 more Albertans have died due to COVID-19, putting the province’s death toll up to 1,002.

“This tragic milestone is more than a number or statistic,” said Premier Jason Kenney in a written statement on Monday. “It represents more than 1,000 mothers, wives, fathers, husbands – empty spaces around the table that can never be filled. Each one means that there is a family that is grieving, a friend who has lost someone they loved, a child who lost their parent, a partner who lost their true love.”

Kenney said that even as Alberta reaches this milestone, there is reason for hope, noting the vaccine, which more than 6,000 Albertans have received.

“We can see the light at the end of the tunnel. And so on this grim day, I ask all Albertans to double down on our public health measures. Let’s prevent as many Albertans as we can from experiencing the same pain and loss that so many already have.”

Meantime, after taking a pause from reporting detailed numbers over Christmas, Dr. Deena Hinshaw shared full updates on Monday for each of the last five days, including a 9.6 per cent positivity rate over the last 24 hours. Over the week, that rate was as low as 6.4 per cent.

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She said lower case numbers over Christmas are due to fewer people seeking out testing, but that they may also be attributed to measures introduced two weeks ago.

Hinshaw reiterated that Alberta isn’t out of the woods and that it remains to be seen how numbers will fluctuate in the weeks following Christmas.

The chief medical officer of health also noted that one case of the UK variant of COVID-19 has been detected in Alberta, but that there’s no evidence of spread. She said Alberta Health is also monitoring a variant from South Africa.

Figures (provincial) for the last five days:

Dec. 23: 1,007 new cases, 15,585 tests, 30 deaths

Dec. 24: 1,191 new cases, 17,845 tests, 18 deaths

Dec. 25: 914 new cases, 14,193 tests, 17 deaths

Dec. 26: 459 new cases, 6,866 tests, 27 deaths

Dec. 27: 917 new cases, 9,633 tests, 20 deaths

As of Dec. 28, there are 15,487 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, down 2,344. Hospitalizations are up 57 to 878, while ICU admissions edged up from 146 to 148.

In Red Deer, there are now 291 active cases, a decrease of 67 that marks the first time the city has had fewer than 300 active cases since Dec. 4. Red Deer did add 75 new cases over the last five days, but 141 people recovered.

Sadly, the city also recorded its fourth death of the pandemic. A woman in her 80s died on Dec. 22 in relation to the COVID-19 outbreak at the Points West Living seniors facility where all four local fatalities have taken place.

In Central Zone, total cases are up 562 to 6,231, and active cases are up by 93 to 1,484.

There are 85 hospitalizations in the zone, up six, and 11 people are in ICU, up one. The zone has recorded 39 deaths, up by three, including the town of Sylvan Lake’s first.

The two other new deaths (aside from the one in Red Deer) involved a female in her 40s and a male in his 90s.

Active cases around Central Zone:

Red Deer County: 84 (+6)

Sylvan Lake: 25 (+5)

Clearwater County: 29 (-7)

Lacombe County: 45 (+4)

City of Lacombe: 29 (+5)

Ponoka County: 463 (+116)

Dr. Hinshaw was asked what Alberta Health is looking for specifically related to the UK variant of COVID-19, and she said the province is watching closely and having conversations with colleagues across the country.

“[We are making sure] we are informed about what we’re seeing and that we’re taking a collaborative and coordinated approach to this,” she said. “What we know right now is that this UK variant may be more infectious, and as a precaution we’re therefore making sure we’re reducing the chance we could get importation.”

Hinshaw added, “The good news is this individual did everything they were supposed to do, following quarantine and other public health measures.”

It’s important, she said, to remember public health measures are in place to protect against this variant and following them is the best thing Albertans can do to protect each other.

Anyone who has been to the UK in the last two weeks and travelled back to Alberta will receive a call from Alberta Health in order to book a test. The same applies to anyone returning from South Africa where Hinshaw noted a similar mutation has taken place.

She added the province is working with the federal government to obtain a list of any and all passengers who were on flights from those nations back to Alberta.

Hinshaw added there is no evidence yet that the currently available vaccines are any less effective against the new variants.

Hinshaw also warned about becoming complacent with the number of new cases trending downward, saying the health care system is still under significant pressure. She asked people to follow the details and the spirit of the public health orders that are in place, encouraging virtual New Year’s Eve celebrations.

“The new year holds a lot of promise, especially with the expanded rollout of vaccines in the coming weeks and months. Let’s start it on the right path with lower case numbers and reduced spread.”

Hinshaw’s next in-person update will be on Jan. 5.