By Troy Gillard

two more deaths

Alberta reports 117 new COVID-19 cases as province clears testing backlog

Apr 1, 2020 | 3:57 PM

Premier Jason Kenney announced Wednesday that COVID-19 cases in Alberta have jumped by 117 since Tuesday to a total of 871.

Kenney says the increase – the largest single day jump in Alberta to date – is partially due to the province’s testing labs now being back up to full capacity and being able to tackle a backlog of tests.

“That backlog had developed because of a temporary shortage of reagents and essential elements in the testing. We now have an adequate stock of those supplies,” says Kenney.

About 4,500 have been done over the past day with Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s chief medical officer, saying 98 per cent of these cases came back negative.

Alberta Health Services (AHS) expects to receive new rapid testing kits that will expand their processing capacity by thousands of tests per day.

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142 Albertans have now recovered from COVID-19, two more than yesterday.

Two more Albertans have passed away from COVID-19, two males in their eighties from the Calgary and North zones, bringing the province’s total to 11.

“We need to be upfront with Albertans: the hard truth is that things will get worse before they get better,” Kenney said.

Hinshaw reports 94 cases of COVID-19 are from community transmission.

Of the province’s cases, there are currently 29 people in hospital, with 13 admitted to intensive care units (ICU). In total, there have been 62 hospitalizations, with 20 admissions to ICUs.

“Based on the trajectory of new cases in this province and the number of cases hospitalized, we’re confident we have the healthcare personnel and equipment that we need to cope with anticipated hospitalizations, including in intensive care units,” says Kenney.

The Central zone now has had 57 cases of COVID-19, an increase of six cases from Tuesday’s report:
Red Deer 23 cases (+3)
RD County 8 (+1)
Lacombe 3
Innisfail 1
Ponoka 1
Stettler and county 1
Olds 2