Medicine Hat down to nine active COVID-19 cases

The province’s chief medical officer of health urged everyone to take precautions this weekend, noting cases began to rise after the last statutory holiday in July.

She encouraged Albertans to make necessary adjustments to best follow public health guidelines, including hosting events outdoors and limiting stops in small communities on any road trips.

“Be a champion for safety and speak up if others are unsure on how to follow public health guidance,” said Dr. Deena Hinshaw. “Careless behaviour today can lead to sharp increases in cases next week and the week after.”

The pilot program to provide asymptomatic testing at community pharmacies began in June. Hinshaw said the project was a success, with more than 10,000 people safely tested at the pilot pharmacies in the last month.

“Based on the success we’re expanding the program to any pharmacy that wants to offer testing and is able to meet the safety requirements,” said Hinshaw. “Testing can begin as soon as the pharmacy is enrolled and receives the necessary test supplies from Alberta Precision Labs.”

A list of the pharmacies providing testing is available online. Two Medicine Hat pharmacies — Shoppers Drug Mart on Division Avenue North and Sandstone Pharmacies at 116 Carry Drive — are on the list. Hinshaw says that list will be updated as more pharmacies enrol.

Hinshaw asked for patience from Albertans as the voluntary program is rolled out, explaining pharmacies will need time to enrol and begin testing.

Testing is being done by appointment only and Hinshaw encouraged people to call ahead to find out about the testing process at the pharmacy.

“And please remember, for the safety of your self and others, only people with no symptoms and no known exposure to COVID-19 can be tested at a pharmacy,” she said.

Hinshaw also said that while masks are not currently mandatory, evidence is being reviewed, and guidance will be updated in the coming weeks. This includes masks in schools, she said.

The idea of moving forward or back in respect to stages of relaunch is always under consideration and the hospitalization and ICU triggers are constantly being reviewed, she said.

She also gave an update on serology testing, which indicates who may have been previously infected by the virus. The first estimates from the COVID-19 Residual Seristudy come from nearly 9,400 anonymous samples that were collected for non-COVID reasons in the first week of June, providing a baseline estimate for how many Albertans had COVID-19 antibodies at the time, reflecting infections prior to the middle of May.

She says less than one per cent showed the presence of antibodies, which gives an “approximate idea of how many infections there have been, at least in a group seeking health care.”

Hinshaw said that indicates there were almost 36,000 cases in Alberta as of May 20. As of that date, just over 6,000 cases had been identified through swab testing, about 17 per cent.

Other jurisdictions, such as B.C., California, and Sweden, marked between 12.5 per cent and 1.3 per cent.

“This data is an indication that our current PCR testing program is highly effective,” Hinshaw said.

She said it also shows the province’s early efforts to flatten the curve and slow the spread of the virus were successful.

Hinshaw will provide her next in-person update on Aug. 4.

There are 91 Albertans currently in hospital due to COVID-19, 18 of which are in ICU. There are a total of 195, deaths, an increase of five. All deaths were in one continuing care home in Edmonton.

The province conducted 8,670 tests in the past 24 hours.

The South Zone has a total of 1,641 cases —1,477 recovered, an increase of five, and 148 active, an increase of six.

There are 17 people in the zone in hospital, four of which are in ICU, and there have been 16 deaths.

Cypress County has totalled 31 cases – all recovered.

The County of Forty Mile has 12 total cases, three active cases and nine recovered.

The MD of Taber has 37 total cases — 19 active and 18 recovered.

Special Areas No. 2 has nine active cases and six recovered.

Brooks has 1,123 total cases —1,113 are recovered and one is active. Brooks has recorded nine deaths. The County of Newell has a total of 23 cases — three active and 20 recovered.

The County of Warner has 54 total cases. There are now five active cases and 48 recovered. There has been one death in the county.

The City of Lethbridge has a total of 122 cases. Of those, 48 are listed as active and 72 recovered and there have been two deaths there. Lethbridge County has 26 cases, nine active cases and 17 recovered.

The figures on alberta.ca are “up-to-date as of end of day July 29, 2020.”

Read the full July 31 update from the province here.

Saskatchewan reported 38 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, six of which are in the South Zone.

Of the 38 cases reported today, investigations so far have found 23 cases are from multiple communal living settings across the province.

Saskatchewan has a total of 1,306 cases, 304 considered active. There are 984 recovered cases and there have been 18 COVID-19 deaths in the province.

by Chris Brown

Medicine Hat down to nine active COVID-19 cases

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