By Sheldon Spackman & Josh Hall

one new case in red deer

Province to provide COVID-19 update

Apr 27, 2020 | 3:36 PM

Alberta is reporting 216 new cases of COVID-19 and two additional deaths.

That gives the province 4,696 total cases and 75 deaths to date. So far, 1,664 people have recovered. Red Deer is reporting one new case on Monday, and currently has five active cases with 30 recovered.

Meantime, 87 people are currently in hospital and 20 are in ICUs.

Officials say there is a new outbreak involving 14 people at the Bearspaw First Nation in the southern part of the province.

Four people have also tested positive in Calgary’s homeless community as asymptomatic testing of users continues. More than 1,000 people experiencing homeless have been tested.

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The province also shared today that 472 health care workers have been impacted by the coronavirus; of them, 181 are active cases, and 291 are recovered. There are also small outbreaks at Sturgeon General Hospital and Royal Alexandra Hospital, both in Edmonton.

Nearly 129,000 Albertans have been tested for COVID-19.

“These cases illustrate that infection with this virus has serious consequences for many people,” said Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the province’s chief medical officer of health.

She said families are grieving those that have died and others are worried about people in intensive care and hospital.

“These are the reason we cannot give up on our work to prevent spread. This virus can only be defeated by our collective efforts to protect each other.”

Hinshaw again spoke about the number of summer events being cancelled due to the public health restrictions on gatherings of more than 15 people.

“No decision has been made on when we will be able to relax this limit on gatherings,” she said. “But it is something we will continue to monitor as we see the results of our collective efforts to prevent the spread paying off.”

There will be an easing of restrictions when it is safe to do so, said Hinshaw.

“Please stay the course and protect your friends, family and neighbours as they are protecting you.”

Hinshaw said Albertans can take collective pride in how Albertans have done in flattening the curve when considering what the modelling released in early April showed.

She said everyone should feel proud of what we’ve done together but that when public health guidelines are eased it must be done in a way that we don’t rebound and see the modelling come true at a later time.

“In the meantime, please know you can go outside and enjoy the sunshine. Anyone who is not sick or a close contact of a confirmed case can be outside with a small number of friends as long as you stay at least two metres way from each other and you don’t share food or drink,” Hinshaw said.

“We will get through this. There will be an easing of restrictions when it is safe to do so. Please stay the course and protect your friends, family and neighbours as they are protecting you.”

(With file from Chris Brown/CHAT News Today)