(file photo/ CHAT News Today)

By Dori Modney/ Lethbridge News Now

Daily COVID-19 figures increase by 69 with three additional deaths

Apr 5, 2020 | 5:38 PM

EDMONTON, AB. — Alberta may take more aggressive measures to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in the coming days. The health of Albertans is, and always will be, our top priority. On Sunday, the province added 69 new cases

Alberta confirmed 69 new cases in the province on Sunday, April 5, taking the total number of cases to 1,250. There have been 23 deaths in the province and 279 recovered cases. A total of 64,806 tests have been completed.

There were an additional three deaths in the past 24-hours, taking the total to 23.

The majority of the confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Alberta continue to be in Calgary zone, which has reported 774 cases and 14 deaths. The Edmonton zone has 309-cases and four deaths, the North zone reports 77-cases and four death, the Central zone has 67 cases and one death.

The South zone has reported no deaths and is holding steady at 20 confirmed cases.

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To this point, the province has spent almost $10-billion on a comprehensive strategy to protect Alberta’s public safety, security and economic interests.

Provincial response to COVID-19 outbreak, March 29 – April 4:

Health and emergency management ;

— Alberta Health Services (AHS) partnership with Spartan Bioscience to provide rapid COVID-19 testing for Alberta (March 30).

— Bill 10, Public Health (Emergency Powers) Amendment Act, 2020, provides law enforcement agencies full authority to enforce public health orders during a pandemic (came into force April 2).

— Expanded eligibility for select licensed child care centres to improve access for essential workers (April 1).

— Sharing resources between provincial and federal meat inspectors to increase food inspector capacity and ensure a consistent supply of safe food products (April 1).

— New orders on controlling outbreaks in facilities such as group and nursing homes to ensure public health authorities are informed and operators are well-trained and deployed where they are needed most (April 2).

— New funding for non-profit organizations to provide additional food assistance for vulnerable K-12 students and families totalling $3 million (April 2).

— More than 1,100 offers of support in the form of vital resources and supplies received from private and non-profit organizations through the government’s Bits and Pieces program.

Economic:

— Investment of $1.5 billion in the Keystone XL (KXL) pipeline to accelerate construction, create jobs for Albertans and ensure it is operational by 2023 (March 31).

— Introduction of Bill 11, Tenancies Statues (Emergency Provisions) Amendment Act, 2020, which will ensure no one can be retroactively charged for residential rent increase or late fees while the state of public health emergency is in effect, if passed (March 31).

— Introduction of Bill 12, Liabilities Management Statutes Amendment Act, 2020, which will provide greater authority for the Orphan Well Association to fast-track well and site cleanup work and boost employment in the oil services sector, if passed (March 31).

— Suspension of hospital parking fees for health-care workers and the general public to make worksite transitions easier for health-care professionals and reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread from touch screens and buttons at payment sites (April 2).

— Deferral of timber dues for six months to help ensure forestry companies can continue operations and retain staff during the pandemic (April 4).