By Sheldon Spackman

Case Counts Still Rising

Red Deer with 483 active cases of COVID-19, walk-in clinic opens in city

Apr 20, 2021 | 5:10 PM

Red Deer was among five communities in Alberta on Tuesday that has now opened up walk-in clinics for those who are eligible to receive their COVID-19 vaccination.

The others included Lethbridge, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie and Camrose, with additional walk-in clinics scheduled to open in Medicine Hat and Brooks on Apr. 22.

Red Deer’s walk-in clinic is at Westerner Park’s Exhibition Hall at 4847A 19 St. It’s hours of operation are Apr. 21 – 25 from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Alberta Health Services is reporting that more than 27,000 people lined up and signed up for the AstraZeneca vaccine on its first day of eligibility for those as young as 40. Previously, it had been available to those 55 and older.

Alberta expanded the eligibility based on new health data and on resistance to some over 55 from getting the vaccine due to concern over possible rare blood clots.

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Both Dr. Deena Hinshaw, chief medical officer of health, and Health Minister Tyler Shandro have stressed the blood clots are extremely rare and have urged Albertans to take AstraZeneca.

Both have posted pictures of themselves on social media getting the vaccine.

1,196,428 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Alberta as of April 19.

Meantime, there were 33 new cases of COVID-19 identified in Red Deer on Tuesday, bringing the total number of active cases in the city now to 483 – up 12 from Monday.

There have been 3,722 cases of coronavirus confirmed in Red Deer since the start of the pandemic, with 3,203 of those recovered – up 21 from Monday. The virus’ death toll in Red Deer remains at 36.

Provincially, 1,345 new cases of COVID-19 were identified in Alberta on Tuesday, bringing the total number of active cases in the province to 18,481. That’s up 57 from Monday.

816 new variant cases were also reported, bringing the total number of active variant cases in the province to 10,520 or roughly 57 per cent of all active cases.

With 13,163 tests conducted over the past 24 hours, the test positivity rate is 10.4 per cent.

There are 476 Albertans currently in hospital with COVID-19, up 16 from Monday, while 105 of those patients are in ICU, up one from the day before.

There have been 5 additional deaths reported to Alberta Health in the last 24 hours.

• Date of death: Jan. 20. A female in her 100s linked to the outbreak at the Allen Gray Continuing Care Centre in Edmonton Zone.
• Date of death: Feb. 3. A female in her 70s in Edmonton Zone.
• Date of death: April 13. A male in his 60s in North Zone.
• Date of death: April 19. A male in his 60s in Edmonton Zone.
• Date of death: April 19. A female in her 60s linked to the outbreak at Rehoboth Christian Ministries in Edmonton Zone.

Active cases across Central Zone

Red Deer County: 126 (+5)

Sylvan Lake: 55 (-7)

Lacombe County: 73 (+1)

City of Lacombe: 90 (+3)

Ponoka County: 159 (-14)

Maskwacis: 46 (-3)

Clearwater County: 31 (+5)

Brazeau County: 58 (+5)

Mountain View County: 83 (+4)

Olds: 74 (-)

Kneehill County: 39 (-2)

County of Stettler: 16 (-4)

Central Zone currently has 1,900 active cases, down 30. The zone has recorded 14,056 total cases since the pandemic began. There are 51 people in hospital, up five, and four patients in ICU at Red Deer Regional Hospital. The zone has recorded 130 deaths since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Elsewhere, there are 8,098 active cases of COVID-19 in the Alberta Health Services (AHS) Calgary Zone, 4,899 active cases in the Edmonton Zone, 2,543 in the North Zone, 969 in the South Zone, and 72 additional active cases of coronavirus in unconfirmed locations.