By Chris Brown

Hinshaw believes schools are safe, return planned for next week

May 18, 2021 | 4:16 PM

Dr. Deena Hinshaw says she’s declining new daily case numbers suggest the public health measures put in place in early May are working.

But she maintains the province is not out of the woods yet with some of the measures set to be lifted after the long weekend.

“There is still more to do and we have a long way to go,” said the chief medical officer of health.

Students are set to resume in-person learning on May 25, and Hinshaw says she does feel safe about her kids returning to school.

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“I don’t believe there to be a public health risk in bringing children back to school,” noting the move to online learning two weeks ago was based not on a public health driver but on the operational considerations of the health system.

Hinshaw said there is potential for another surge in cases if reopening happens too quickly.

“But as long as we are able to continue to have our numbers dropping and our immunization rates rising, we will reach a point where those two numbers will be able to be protective of the community,” she said.

Those discussions will take place over the next few weeks as a reopening framework is planned.

There are 161 active cases of COVID-19 in Medicine Hat on Tuesday.

Medicine Hat now has had 1,143 total cases – the 161 active, 963 recovered and there have been 19 deaths, one new since the weekend.

47.3 per cent of all Hatters 12 years and up have received at least one dose of vaccine.

Across Alberta, there are 20,013 active cases, down 1,275 from Monday, and 198,394 recovered cases, up 2,148.

Alberta’s total cases from the start of the pandemic is 220,559.

There have been 41,423 variant cases ID’d in the province, 168 new today. There are 2,287 in the South Zone.

There are 877 total new cases in the province today.

There are now 691 Albertans in hospital with COVID-19, 187 of which are in ICU, and 2,152 deaths.

The province completed 8,081 tests in the past 24 hours.

The positivity rate is about 11.4 per cent.

Alberta has administered 2,217,446 of vaccine at the latest update.

Hinshaw said second immunization doses can be booked by severely compromised Albertans three to four weeks after the first dose by calling 811. All other Albertans can get their second dose about three to four months after their first dose.

“First doses provide good protection and delaying the second dose is allowing us to vaccinate the province as quickly as possible which helps protect all of us by further reducing the spread,” said Hinshaw.

She added that more than 50 per cent of Albertans over the age of 12 have gotten at least one dose.

She also reiterated that vaccines are safe and effective.

“They help prevent transmission and strongly protect against severe outcomes,” Hinshaw said.

There are 11,876 cases in the South Zone. There are 985 active cases and 10,767 recovered. The death total in the zone is at 124.

The province-wide reproductive value from last week is 0.84. It is 1.16 in Calgary Zone, 0.82 in Edmonton Zone and 0.85 in the rest of Alberta. These figures are updated each Monday.

Crescent Heights High School, Monsignor McCoy High School, Crestwood School, Elm Street School, Dr. Ken Sauer School, Notre Dame Academy remain on AHS Outbreak status.

Mother Teresa School, River Heights Elementary School, Medicine Hat Christian School and CAPE School are on Alert status.

Regionally, Brooks Composite High School, Christ the King Academy in Brooks and Duchess School are on Outbreak status. Eagle Butte High School and Eastbrook Elementary School in Brooks are on Alert status.

Cypress County has totaled 264 cases – 30 active cases and the rest recovered. The vaccination rate for all ages is 37.8 per cent.

The County of Forty Mile has 155 total cases. There are five active cases, 147 recovered and there have been three deaths. The vaccination rate for all ages is 20.2 per cent.

The MD of Taber has 558 total cases — 43 active cases, 509 recovered and there have been six deaths. The vaccination rate for all ages is 26.2 per cent.

Special Areas No. 2 has 90 total cases – seven active cases, 82 recovered and there has been one death.

Brooks has 1,458 total cases — 39 active cases and 1,404 are recovered. Brooks has recorded 15 deaths.

The County of Newell has a total of 210 cases — 29 active cases, 179 recovered and there have been two deaths. The vaccination rate for all ages is 34.7 per cent, including Brooks.

The County of Warner has 432 total cases. There are 68 active cases, 361 are recovered cases and there have been three deaths in the county. The vaccination rate for all ages is 33.2 per cent.

The City of Lethbridge has a total of 4,685 cases. There are 310 active cases, 4,338 recovered and there have been 37 deaths. Lethbridge County has 1,199 cases, 143 active cases, 1,045 recovered and there have been 11 deaths.

Not all the areas on the vaccination data map match the case count map.

The figures on alberta.ca are “up-to-date as of end of day May 17, 2021.”

Read the full May 17 update from the province here.

Saskatchewan has a total of 44,841 cases, 1,825 considered active. There are 42,494 recovered cases and there have been 522 COVID-19 deaths in the province.

Saskatchewan has delivered 608,524 doses of vaccine.