By Troy Gillard

record total rises

Red Deer up to 493 active COVID-19 cases

Feb 18, 2021 | 4:10 PM

Alberta confirmed 415 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday.

That’s out of 10,275 test results over the past 24 hours for a positivity rate of about four per cent.

The number of active cases across the province sits at 4,887, an increase of 30 from Wednesday. Recoveries are up 378 to a total of 123,338.

The number of active COVID-19 cases in Red Deer as of Thursday is up to 493, an increase of 39 from Wednesday and a new record for the city.

There have been 1,918 recoveries, an increase of 24 as the total number of cases attributed to Red Deer rose by 63 to a total of 2,433.

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The number of deaths in Red Deer because of COVID-19 remains 22.

Alberta identified 14 additional variant cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the overall total to 239 with all but seven being the U.K. variant.

There are 362 Albertans in hospital due to COVID-19, down eight from Wednesday, including 55 in intensive care, down five.

The province has now administered 155,532 vaccine doses and more than 58,000 Albertans are now fully immunized with two doses.

Seven additional COVID-19 deaths were reported to Alberta Health in the last 24 hours to bring the province’s total as of Thursday to 1,805. Each of the latest reported deaths occurred in the Calgary and Edmonton zones.

Active cases across Central Zone as of Thursday (by municipality):

Red Deer County: 41 (+3)

Sylvan Lake: 14 (+1)

Lacombe County: 9 (-1)

City of Lacombe: 32 (-1)

Ponoka County: 35 (–)

Clearwater County: 8 (-4)

Brazeau County: 9 (-1)

Mountain View County: 10 (+1)

Olds: 2 (–)

Kneehill County: 5 (+1)

County of Stettler: 5 (–)

The Central Zone has 729 active cases as of Thursday, an increase of 32, with 30 hospitalizations. Six people are receiving intensive care for COVID-19 at Red Deer Regional Hospital, an increase of two over the past 24 hours. The zone has had 101 deaths as a result of COVID-19, none of which were reported in the last 24 hours.

Alberta Health confirms that as of Thursday there are 197 active cases linked to the COVID-19 outbreak at the Olymel pork processing facility in Red Deer, an increase of three from Wednesday. Total confirmed cases stemming from the outbreak sit at 389. There has been one death as a result of the outbreak.

Currently, 250 Alberta schools, about 10 per cent, are on alert or have outbreaks, with 854 cases in total. There are 194 schools are on alert (two or more cases), with 401 total cases. Outbreaks (10 or more cases) are declared in 56 schools, with a total of 453 cases. The province says in-school transmission has likely occurred in 135 schools. Of these, 84 have had only one new case occur as a result.

Health Minister Tyler Shandro joined Dr. Deena Hinshaw for Thursday’s daily COVID-19 update to tout the work of the provincial contact tracing team.

Shandro said there are currently more than 2,300 contact tracers and that 21,216 cases were closed in January.

“The tracers have been steadfast and their dedication has brought us to the point now that they reach all positive cases within 24 hours of their test results,” he said.

As identified COVID-19 variant cases rise, there are 50 contact tracers dedicated to variant tracing.

Shandro credited Albertans for doing the right thing and following the guidance of public health officials to bring cases down.

“We’re still at risk, especially from the new variants. We have to continue to be careful,” he said.

“But Albertans have shown that they can do what it takes to bend the curve. And that’s why I believe it’s safe to move forward with our careful, staged reopening.”

(With file from Chris Brown – CHAT News Today)