Active cases in Red Deer hit 564 as Olymel cases drop again

Nine additional COVID-19 deaths were reported to Alberta Health in the last 24 hours to bring the province’s total as of Sunday to 1,817. The deaths occurred between Nov. 29 and Feb. 19.

As of Sunday, there have been 278 total variant cases of COVID-19 in the province, 271 of which are the UK variant.

The number of active COVID-19 cases in Red Deer as of Sunday sits at 564, up 18 from Saturday. There have been 1,995 recoveries, an increase of 13 as the total number of cases attributed to Red Deer rose by 31 to a total of 2,581. The number of deaths in Red Deer linked to COVID-19 remains 22, a number which hasn’t increased since Feb. 5.

Red Deer active case rate was tops in the province as of Friday at 500/100,000 people. It was third highest on Saturday at 513.2/100,000 people. As of Sunday, Red Deer remains the third highest, but now at a rate of 530.1 active cases/100,000 people.

For perspective, Calgary has 1,409 (-40) active cases and a rate of 103.1/100,000 people. Edmonton has just 900 (-57) active cases and is down to 86.7/100,000 people.

Alberta Health confirms that as of Sunday, there are 205 active cases linked to the COVID-19 outbreak at the Olymel pork processing facility in Red Deer, a one-day decrease of six, along with 239 recoveries. Total cases stemming from the outbreak sit at 445, including one death. A week ago, there were 194 active cases, and the active caseload has now gone down for two consecutive days after peaking at 212 on Feb. 19.

Not all cases from the Olymel outbreak are attributable to Red Deer as a case would be categorized by a worker’s home address. Alberta Health also clarified Sunday that Olymel outbreak data may include family or other community members if they contracted COVID-19 directly from a worker who’s part of the outbreak.

Active cases across Central Zone as of Sunday (one-day and seven-day change), and total deaths

Red Deer County: 39 (-1, +7), 1 death

Sylvan Lake: 16 (+2, –), 2 deaths

Lacombe County: 13 (-1, +4), 1 death

City of Lacombe: 16 (-3, -21), 1 death

Ponoka County: 28 (-4, -22), 12 deaths

Clearwater County: 7 (-1, -7), 1 death

Brazeau County: 7 (-1, -3)

Mountain View County: 17 (+4, +8), 1 death

Olds: 1 (-1, -2)

Kneehill County: 7 (–, +4), 3 deaths

County of Stettler: 4 (-1, -1), 2 deaths

The Central Zone has 766 active cases as of Sunday, an increase of eight, with 32 hospitalizations, down one. Eight people are receiving intensive care for COVID-19 at Red Deer Regional Hospital, up one. The zone has had 103 deaths as a result of COVID-19, one of which was reported by Alberta Health today, involving a male in his 70s with comorbidities. His location was not disclosed.

The zone is also home to 55 variant cases, all of which are the UK version. That’s an increase of 20 from a week ago.

Central Zone school cases announced since last Sunday, and current alerts/outbreaks
*alert = 2-4 cases, outbreak = 5-9 cases, or 10+ cases

Red Deer – Ecole Barrie Wilson – one case

Red Deer – Lindsay Thurber – two new cases (OUTBREAK 5-9)

Red Deer – Father Henri Voisin (ALERT)

Stettler – one case at unnamed colony school

Red Deer – St. Joseph High School (OUTBREAK 10+)

Red Deer – St. Thomas Aquinas School (OUTBREAK 10+)

Red Deer – St. Teresa of Avila School (OUTBREAK 5-9)

Red Deer – St. Francis of Assisi (ALERT)

Red Deer – St. Patrick’s Community School (ALERT)

Red Deer – Glendale STEM (ALERT)

Lacombe – Lacome Composite High School (OUTBREAK 5-9)

Lacombe County – Alix MAC (ALERT)

Sylvan Lake – Mother Teresa (OUTBREAK 5-9)

Three Hills – Prairie Christian Academy (ALERT)

Seven-day change figures (updated by rdnewsNOW each Sunday)

Alberta

Total: 131,063 (+2,239), last week (+1,843)

Active: 4,758 (-1,484), last week (-1,027)

Recovered: 124,478 (+3,189), last week (2,923)

Deaths: 1,827 (+47), last week (+71)

Hospitalized: 321 (-30), last week (-83)

ICU: 53 (-7), last week (-21)

Positivity rate: ~4.3% (+~0.7%), last week (-0.7%)

UK (B.1.1.7) variant cases: 271 (+107), last week (+93)

S. Africa (B.1.351) variant cases: 7 (–), last week (–)

Vaccine doses administered: 169,441 (+23,600), last week (+25,000 approx.)

Tests completed: 3,356,719 (+53,774), last week (+58,636)

People tested: 1,804,455 (+14,815), last week (+15,735)

Central Zone

Total: 9,897 (+378), last week (+305)

Active: 766 (+88), last week (-16)

Recovered: 9,028 (+288), last week (+317)

Deaths: 103 (+2), last week (+4)

Hospitalized: 32 (+4), last week (-4)

ICU: 8 (+4), last week (–)

Variant cases: 57 (+20), last week’s increase not available

Red Deer

Total: 2,581 (+319), last week (+239)

Active: 564 (+170), last week (+119)

Recovered: 1,995 (+149), last week (+120)

Deaths: 22 (–), last week (–)

Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, will give her next update on Monday.

Correction: Sunday’s COVID-19 update (this story) on rdnewsNOW.com mistakenly referenced an outbreak of 5-9 cases at Father Lacombe Catholic School in Lacombe. The outbreak is actually at Father Lacombe School in Calgary. We apologize for the error.

by Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

Active cases in Red Deer hit 564 as Olymel cases drop again

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