By Chris Brown

More testing, higher numbers

COVID-19 cases jump as testing becomes more aggressive, Brooks has 32

Apr 17, 2020 | 4:00 PM

After two days without regional numbers after an electrical fire at the data centre impacted the reporting system, Medicine Hat has seen just two more cases of COVID-19. There is now a total of 13 cases in the city, four active and nine recovered.

Brooks however saw its cases jump to 32. On Thursday the City of Brooks confirmed three cases, but mentioned that multiple cases were in found at the JBS Food Canada plant.

Alberta has seen another 239 cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the provincial total to 2,397. The total number of recovered cases is now 1,124 and there were no new deaths announced on Friday. Dr. Deena Hinshaw said the 239 is a combination of 134 lab confirmed cases and 105 probable cases, a combination of the last three days.

The high total of confirmed cases is due to the increased testing and a surge in cases among households linked to a meat packing facility in High River, said the chief medical officer of health. There are 358 cases linked to that outbreak.

The South Zone now has 67 cases, mostly attributable to Brooks. Cypress County remains at six active cases, County of Forty Mile is at two recovered cases and the MD of Taber is at two recovered cases.

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There are currently 60 Albertans in hospital due to COVID-19, 13 of which are in the ICU. Since the start of the pandemic a total of 115 Albertans have been admitted to hospital, and 35 in the ICU.

Hinshaw said 400 of the total cases are suspected to be from community transmission from an unknown source. She added the number has increased and is concerning, and will provide more information next week after more analysis of the data.

Premier Jason Kenney announced a further expansion of testing. In the coming days testing will be done on all residents and staff in continuing care facilities that are experiencing outbreaks, whether they have symptoms or not.

“This will help to contain the spread among residents and protect the compassionate and courageous workers who are caring for them in those seniors’ facilities,” said Kenney.

The maximum testing capacity is close to 7,000 tests per day and the province has a goal to increase that to 20,000. Kenney said that is part of the government’s relaunch strategy that also includes “a very strong policy to build a wall of defence around out most vulnerable seniors, in particular those in continuing care facilities.”

Kenney said that while Albertans should be proud of the efforts made so far “we are not out of this,” and acknowledged increasing calls from the public to re-open everything right away.

“Doing so, letting the virus loose, would risk us having to come back with an even more stringent and widespread lockdown that would have an even more devastating impact on our economy,” he said. “The best way we can re-open … is if we continue to show discipline.”

Kenney also addressed the federal government’s $1.7 billion investment in the energy sector announced Friday, calling it “an important lifeline for hundreds of companies” in communities large and small.

Read the full April 17 release from the province here.