By Chris Brown

1,735 new cases in province

Five new cases, but active COVID-19 cases continue to drop in Medicine Hat

Dec 7, 2020 | 3:48 PM

Alberta has reached a pair of grim COVID-19 milestones – more than 20,000 active cases and more than 70,000 total cases over the course of the pandemic.

There are now 20,067 active cases in the province from 70,301 total cases.

There are also 49,603 recovered cases.

In Medicine Hat, there are 92 active cases of COVID-19.

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The city now has had 323 total cases – the 92 active, 226 recovered and there have been five deaths.

There are five new cases in the city in Monday’s update.

Across the province, there are 20,067 active cases, up 583 from Sunday, and 49,603 recovered cases, up 1,136.

There are 1,735 new cases in the province today.

There are now 609 Albertans in hospital with COVID-19, 108 of which are in ICU, and 631 deaths.

The province completed 20,358 tests in the past 24 hours.

The provincial positivity rate is 8.5 per cent.

Dr. Deena Hinshaw announced 16 deaths since Sunday, saying they are a “tragic reminder of the power of the virus and why it is vital that we slow the spread.”

She added six of those deaths are linked to the outbreak at the Edmonton Chinatown Care Centre.

Concerned with the rising numbers, Hinshaw encouraged Albertans to keep them in mind when incorporating the restrictions into their daily lives.

“The small changes that we all make have tremendous power,” said the chief medical officer of health, saying they stop the virus from spreading and break transmission chains. “At the same time, the small bending of the rules – the one-time social get-togethers with extended family and parties with friends – have the power to undo the hard work of so many within just a few minutes.”

She said the continued rise of new cases and hospitalizations underscores the seriousness of the situation facing Albertans and that we are not bending the curve back down.

“I am more concerned than ever before about the spread of this virus. Every one of us needs to be a part of the response and we need to come together to protect each other.”

Thirteen days since restrictions were put in place by the province, Hinshaw said her team has been working on recommendations for the provincial cabinet and will bring them forward.

Later, Hinshaw seemed to give an indication the recommendations will include more restrictions.

“It’s currently looking like the measures that were put in place two weeks ago are unlikely to be sufficient to bend the curve downwards, which is of course what we have to do if we’re going to protect our acute care system,” she said.

Hinshaw announced the province will begin piloting point-of-care rapid testing at COVID-19 assessment centres in St. Paul and Slave Lake and at one centre in each of Calgary and Edmonton.

These tests will provide faster, more convenient testing for the disease, said Hinshaw.

The tests are used on people who are within the first seven days of showing symptoms, reducing the need for samples to be transported for testing.

“I must remind everyone that in those without symptoms, the rapid tests are less accurate. In addition, they are less sensitive than the usual test, so those who have symptoms and test negative with the rapid test will still need to isolate while waiting for their results through the molecular lab testing,” she said.

The test offers faster identification of positive cases, which will allow health care teams to prioritize the cases that are still infectious and focus where the greatest impact will be on preventing further transmission.

Positive cases can be identified and notified in just a few hours, said Hinshaw, speeding up the appropriate care and isolation of patients.

Work is underway to expand point-of-care testing to other centres across the province, including long-term care facilities and shelters.

With people being asked to stay at home, the chief medical officer of health said clarified the restrictions for those who live alone.

Anyone who lives alone is permitted to socialize indoors with two close contacts as long as they are the same close contacts for the duration of the restrictions, said Hinshaw.

The two contacts do not need to be from the same household and do not need to be living on their own.

“But if you choose a close contact who has other individuals living in their home, indoor gatherings must take place in your home to limit person-to-person contact,” she said.

Medicine Hat remains on the provincial “Watch” list and is in enhanced status. In enhanced status, risk levels require enhanced public health measures to control the spread and are informed by local context.

Regions are placed on the province’s “Watch” list when they have a rate of more than 50 active cases per 100,000 population. Medicine Hat’s 92 active cases among 68,057 people puts it at a rate of 135.2.

Cypress County with a rate of 115.9 on 13 active cases and the County of Forty Mile with a rate of 217.3 on 14 active cases are also on the list.

Brooks (145.1 rate), the County of Newell (247.1), Lethbridge (252.6) Lethbridge County (257.6) and the MD of Taber (355.2) are also on the list.

All those regions are also in enhanced status.

There are 4,250 cases in the South Zone. There are 654 active cases and 3,547 recovered. The death total in the zone is at 49.

A spokesperson says AHS South Zone currently has 13 COVID-19 positive individuals in hospital. There are seven at Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge, with three of those in the ICU. Medicine Hat Regional Hospital has six inpatients, zero in the ICU.

On Monday there are 237 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.

In the city, Medicine Hat High School and Crescent Heights High School are listed as having outbreaks.

In Brooks, an outbreak is listed at Christ the King Academy.

The website Support Our Students is tracking instances of cases in schools across the province.

Cypress County has totaled 126 cases – 13 active cases and the rest recovered.

The County of Forty Mile has 112 total cases. There are 14 active cases, 96 recovered and there have been two deaths.

The MD of Taber has 279 total cases — 67 active cases, 208 recovered and there have been four deaths.

Special Areas No. 2 has 27 total cases – nine active and the rest recovered.

Brooks has 1,294 total cases — 28 active and 1,252 are recovered. Brooks has recorded 14 deaths.

The County of Newell has a total of 116 cases — 20 active cases, 94 recovered and there have been two deaths.

The County of Warner has 136 total cases. There are 32 active cases, 102 are recovered cases and there have been two deaths in the county.

The City of Lethbridge has a total of 1,153 cases. There are 250 active cases, 896 recovered and there have been seven deaths. Lethbridge County has 364 cases, 65 active cases, 297 recovered and there have been two deaths.

The figures on alberta.ca are “up-to-date as of end of day Dec. 6, 2020.”

Read the full Dec. 7 update from the province here.

Saskatchewan confirmed 891 new cases of COVID-19 since Friday, 88 in the South Zones.

Saskatchewan has a total of 10,412 cases, 4,763 considered active. There are 5,589 recovered cases and there have been 60 COVID-19 deaths in the province.