By Chris Brown

Active cases in city down to 122

Hinshaw: Closer every day to easing public health measures; 387 new cases in province

May 25, 2021 | 3:59 PM

Three weeks after the latest round of public health measures were announced, Dr. Deena Hinshaw says the numbers show they are working and the day when the province can ease restrictions is coming.

“We have seen a steady decline in new cases across the province, which is helping bring our active case count down as well,” said the chief medical officer of health in her update on Tuesday. “In fact, active cases have declined 52 per cent from their peak earlier this month. We are now seeing promising declines in hospitalization numbers and although it has rebounded a little bit in the last few days, we have started seeing our positivity rate decline as well.”

She also said the reproductive for the past week in Alberta was 0.67, down from 0.84 the week before.

“With cases declining and more vaccines being delivered every day, we are rapidly approaching a point where we can safely begin to ease measures. It’s close and getting closer every day,” she said.

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Immediately after the Tuesday update, the province said an update on easing restrictions will come on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. Premier Jason Kenney, Health Minister Tyler Shandro and Jobs, Economy and Innovation Minister Doug Schweitzer are to make the announcement.

READ MORE: B.C. outlines four-step plan to end restrictions; September return to normal

Hinshaw also called the uptake of vaccines remarkable, and said “the more people who get immunized, the more successful we will be at preventing waves in the future.”

She added the province is looking at ways to reduce the current 16-week timing for second doses and when we can begin to shorten that window based on incoming supply. She said she hopes to have an update on that soon.

The province is also looking at more ways to reach key groups that may be having trouble accessing vaccines.

Hinshaw said there is still high demand for the vaccines currently available and encourages anyone still thinking about making an appointment to make one soon.

Hinshaw’s next update will be later this week.

There are 122 active cases of COVID-19 in Medicine Hat on Tuesday.

Medicine Hat now has had 1,202 total cases – the 122 active, 1,060 recovered and there have been 20 deaths.

There are four new cases in the city today and 13 new recoveries.

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

Across Alberta, there are 12,078 active cases, down 1,530 from Monday, and 210,764 recovered cases, up 1,908.

Alberta’s total cases from the start of the pandemic is 225,034.

There are 387 total new cases in the province today.

There are now 565 Albertans in hospital with COVID-19, 158 of which are in ICU, and 2,192 deaths.

The province completed 3,998 tests in the past 24 hours.

The positivity rate is about 9.9 per cent.

Alberta has administered 2,552,317 of vaccine at the latest update.

There are 12,180 cases in the South Zone. There are 678 active cases and 11,375 recovered. The death total in the zone is at 127.

An AHS spokesperson told CHAT News on Tuesday AHS South Zone currently has 35 COVID-19 positive individuals in hospital. There are 19 at Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge, with four of those in the ICU. Medicine Hat Regional Hospital has 14 inpatients, with two of those in the ICU. The Brooks Health Centre and Cardston Health Centre each have one inpatient.

The province-wide reproductive value from last week is 0.67. It is 0.62 in Calgary Zone, 0.71 in Edmonton Zone and 0.71 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 and St. Mary’s School remain on AHS Outbreak status.

Mother Teresa School and River Heights Elementary School are on Alert status.

Regionally, Brooks Composite High School and Eastbrook Elementary School are on Outbreak status. Eagle Butte High School is on Alert status.

Cypress County has totaled 283 cases – 35 active cases and the rest recovered. The vaccination rate for all ages is 42.6 per cent.

The County of Forty Mile has 155 total cases. There are two active cases, 150 recovered and there have been three deaths. The vaccination rate for all ages is 24.3 per cent.

The MD of Taber has 567 total cases — 22 active cases, 539 recovered and there have been six deaths. The vaccination rate for all ages is 30 per cent.

Special Areas No. 2 has 97 total cases – eight active cases, 88 recovered and there has been one death.

Brooks has 1,484 total cases — 42 active cases and 1,427 are recovered. Brooks has recorded 15 deaths.

The County of Newell has a total of 225 cases — 31 active cases, 192 recovered and there have been two deaths. The vaccination rate for all ages is 39.1 per cent, including Brooks.

The County of Warner has 450 total cases. There are 39 active cases, 408 are recovered cases and there have been three deaths in the county. The vaccination rate for all ages is 37.6 per cent.

The City of Lethbridge has a total of 4,761 cases. There are 186 active cases, 4,537 recovered and there have been 38 deaths. Lethbridge County has 1,225 cases, 78 active cases, 1,135 recovered and there have been 12 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 24, 2021.”

Read the full update from the province here.

Saskatchewan has a total of 45,820 cases, 1,451 considered active. There are 43,842 recovered cases and there have been 527 COVID-19 deaths in the province.

Saskatchewan has delivered 665,193 doses of vaccine.