One new COVID-19 case in Medicine Hat, now three active cases

The total number of COVID-19 cases across the province stands at 19,718. There are 2,097 active cases, up 187 from Wednesday, and 17,338 recovered cases, up 175.

There are currently 77 Albertans in hospital, 13 in ICU. There have been 283 deaths, up two from Wednesday.

The province conducted 16,408 tests in the past 24 hours.

Dr. Deena Hinshaw announced new voluntary public health measures for the Captial Region, which has 276 new cases today.

“The Edmonton Zone now faces a crucial juncture,” said Hinshaw. “While the system is able to support the current caseloads in hospitals and ICUs, the acute care impact is a lagging indicator. It typically takes one to two weeks before a rise in cases contributes to a rise in hospitalizations.”

The first new voluntary measure is to limit all family and private social gatherings to 15 people. She said that does not impact schools, worship services or other more formal gatherings, but that organizers must ensure all previous COVID guidelines are followed. She did ask wedding and funeral receptions to reduce their numbers as much as possible.

Second, Hinshaw is recommending masks be worn in all indoor work settings, except when alone in workspaces where people can safely distance or an appropriate barrier is in place.

Lastly, the chief medical officer of health asks Edmontonians to limit themselves to three cohorts – their core household cohort, their school cohort and one other social, sport or other group.

“These measures are not being taken lightly, but are necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19 form continuing to escalate,” she said.

She said the measures are voluntary because the triggers for mandatory restrictions – a rise in hospitalizations of more than five per cent over two weeks or 50 per cent of ICU beds being occupied – are not met at this time

There are currently more than 1,250 active cases in the zone and the positivity rate has increased to four per cent. The r-value, which measures how many new cases on average are infected by each person who already has the virus has risen from 1 to 1.3 three in the past week.

“All parts of the Edmonton Zone are being impacted by the rising spread of the virus either directly or indirectly,” said Hinshaw.

She again said that about 11 per cent of active cases worked or attended social gatherings while symptomatic.

“Currently about 36 per cent, almost two out of five cases in Edmonton were exposed by a close contact. Another 26 per cent are linked to an outbreak.”

When transmission is known, Hinshaw said, household or community contacts appear to be a key driver in spreading the virus throughout the city.

She said that while the precautions are focused on the Edmonton Zone all Albertans should take note and take precautions to limit the spread to our friends, family and loved ones.

She especially cautions Albertans against large get-togethers this Thanksgiving weekend.

“Now is not the time to be gathering in large groups, travelling long distances for the holiday or sharing food or utensils with people outside your cohort. Keep your Thanksgiving small, keep it safe and protect one another.”

Hinshaw also clarified that if your child is sick but has not been identified as a close contact of a positive case or is a positive case themselves, you do not need to self-isolate. The sick child should stay away from others in the household, though.

Hinshaw will provide her next update on Oct. 13.

On Thursday there are 72 schools in the province where outbreaks have been declared. Alberta Health’s threshold for declaring an outbreak in school is two cases being in a school while infectious within 14 days.

No local schools are classified as having outbreaks on the provincial website.

The website Support Our Students is tracking instances of cases in schools across the province. Elm Street School and Herald School were added to the list on Oct. 5, and Ecole St. John Paul II, has been on it since late August.

There 1,913 cases in the South Zone. There are 92 active cases and 1,795 recovered. There is currently one COVID-19 case in hospital in the South Zone, which is in the ICU. There have been a total of 26 deaths in the zone.

Cypress County has totaled 33 cases – all recovered.

The County of Forty Mile has 40 total cases. There are three active cases and the rest are recovered.

The MD of Taber has 44 total cases — one active case and the rest recovered.

Special Areas No. 2 has 15 total cases, two active cases and the rest recovered.

Brooks has 1,132 total cases —1,120 are recovered and three are active. Brooks has recorded nine deaths.

The County of Newell has a total of 33 cases — one active case, 30 recovered and there have been two deaths.

The County of Warner has 63 total cases. There is one active case, 62 are recovered cases and there has been one death in the county.

The City of Lethbridge has a total of 216 cases. There are 44 active cases, 170 recovered and there have been two deaths. Lethbridge County has 86 cases, 33 active cases and the rest recovered.

The figures on alberta.ca are “up-to-date as of end of day Oct. 7, 2020.”

Saskatchewan reported 18 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, one in the South Zones.

Saskatchewan has a total of 2,012 cases, 143 considered active. There are 1,845 recovered cases and there have been 24 COVID-19 deaths in the province.

by Chris Brown

One new COVID-19 case in Medicine Hat, now three active cases

Our Community