COVID-19 cases spike in Brooks, now at 763

Dr. Deena Hinshaw said there have now been 276 cases confirmed among employees and contractors at the JBS meatpacking facility in Brooks.

A drive-thru COVID-19 testing facility opened in Brooks on Monday.

Medicine Hat’s numbers now sit at 29 cases, 16 of which are active and 13 recovered.

In the province, there have been seven more deaths, all at continuing care centres in Calgary. The total number of deaths in Alberta is now 87.

Recovered cases have increased by 153, to a total of 1,953.

Asked how the reopening of the economy, plans for which Premier Jason Kenney will unveil this week, meshes with the ban on mass gatherings, Hinshaw said everyone must consider how they learn to live with COVID for the foreseeable future.

Measures such as staying two metres away from others while out and staying home when sick will be “in place for many, many months to come.”

“In fact, those are the kinds of measures that will support our ability to consider opening up some businesses,” she said.

Mass gatherings are part of the discussion about the reopening plan, said Hinshaw, but the potential impact on the spread of the virus must be considered.

“Gatherings of many people, especially in a social setting, is one of the most risky ways of gathering, from what we’ve seen in the outbreaks we’ve had and the locations where we’ve had significant spread from just one infected person.”

There have been 821 workers confirmed at the Cargill meatpacking plant in High River, which will reopen next week.

“We have taken every outbreak seriously,” said Hinshaw, adding they are using the fundamental outbreak control principles to limit spreads.

Alberta’s chief medical officer of health said the province has continually refined its strategy to respond to new outbreaks.

The outbreak strategy relies on prevention and preparedness, rapid response and outbreak management.

Hinshaw said she’s heard that the preventive measures in place have had a negative impact on the quality of life for those in continuing care facilities. She said both are important and “as we learn to live with COVID, we need to make adjustments.”

With that in mind, Hinshaw announced new public health orders that amend existing directives for continuing care facilities and aim to improve both outbreak control and quality of life.

As of now, anyone with mild symptoms such as a hoarse voice or muscle aches must immediately be tested for COVID-19 and isolated until results come back. As well, residents in the same unit as a positive test case must now be tested.

Continuing care centre staff caring for infected patients are now required to wear eye protection, as well as standard personal protective equipment.

Another new order announced by Hinshaw allows residents not in isolation to enjoy outdoor visits with a designated essential visitor and one other person.

“These are important to the mental health of residents and families,” she said.

The County of Newell has nine active cases, an increase of four.

In Cypress County, they are reporting eight cases of COVID-19, three active and five recovered.

The County of Forty Mile and Municipal District of Taber each have two confirmed cases both listed as recovered.

The City of Lethbridge has 13 active cases, four listed as active and nine recovered. Lethbridge County has one recorded recovered case.

Read the full April 29 update from the province here.

by Chris Brown

COVID-19 cases spike in Brooks, now at 763

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