Six more active COVID-19 cases pushes city to enhanced status

All restaurants, bars, lounges and pubs in regions under enhanced status must cease liquor sales by 10 p.m. and close by 11 p.m., says the province in a release. The restriction will remain in place until Nov. 27.

Additional public health measures will also be implemented in all regions under an enhanced status. These measures will be in place until further notice:

Maximum attendance of 50 at wedding or funeral ceremonies.
It is recommended all faith-based activities limit attendance to one-third capacity per service.
Residents should not hold social gatherings within their homes and should not plan social gatherings outside their community.
It is recommended employers in office settings implement measures to reduce the number of employees in the workplace at one time.

Restrictions regarding indoor group fitness classes, team sport activities and group singing, dancing, and performing activities do not apply to Medicine Hat, according to the chart from the province.

“The case numbers in our community have been relatively low throughout the pandemic, but we’re seeing a significant increase, which is obviously concerning,” says Merrick Brown, the City of Medicine Hat’s director of emergency management. “Now is the time for our community to be vigilant – we must take action to reduce the spread of this virus.”

The city is advising residents to follow all guidelines and restrictions put forth by Alberta Health consistently, including limiting social gatherings to 15 people while in the enhanced status.

“We recognize how challenging these restrictions are for our community, but we all need to do our part to slow this spread,” says Robert Nicolay, CAO with the City of Medicine Hat. “Significant sacrifices in the short-term are the most effective way for us to reverse this trend.”

Residents are also reminded to exercise patience and care with one another, particularly those who have been impacted by the virus and health care workers.

“We’ve heard dreadful stories about the negative treatment of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 and our health care workers who have been working tirelessly during the pandemic,” says Nicolay. “It’s time for us to put aside our personal views and treat one another with respect, patience, kindness and dignity.”

Across the province, there are 907 new cases on Friday. Alberta has 8,593 active cases, up 288 since Thursday, and 28,321 recovered cases, up 614.

There are now 240 Albertans in hospital with COVID-19, 54 of which are in ICU, and 398 deaths.

There have been a total of 37,312 cases in Alberta over the course of the pandemic.

Exact testing numbers remain unavailable due to outstanding technical issues with the province’s reporting site.

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 34 active cases among 68,057 people puts it right at 50.

Cypress County with a rate of 312 on 35 active cases and the County of Forty Mile with a rate of 434.6 on 28 active cases are also on the list.

Brooks (222.8 rate), the County of Newell (271.8), Lethbridge (175.8) Lethbridge County (352.8) and the MD of Taber (296.9) are also on the list.

There are 2,959 cases in the South Zone. There are 512 active cases and 2,415 recovered. There are currently 15 COVID-19 cases in hospital in the South Zone, eight in the ICU. The death total in the zone is at 32.

On Friday there are 174 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.

A second case at Medicine Hat High School put it into outbreak status and a case was announced Friday at Dr. Roy Wilson Learning Centre.

Eastbrook Elementary School in Brooks is on the school “Watch” list.

Medicine Hat High School and Crestwood School in Medicine Hat, Brooks Junior High School and Bassano School are currently on the outbreak list.

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

According to the provincial page, there is an outbreak at a private dayhome in Medicine Hat and at the Bow Island Health Centre. No further details were immediately available.

Cypress County has totaled 78 cases – 35 active cases and the rest recovered.

The County of Forty Mile has 79 total cases. There are 28 active cases and the rest are recovered.

The MD of Taber has 113 total cases — 56 active cases and the rest recovered.

Special Areas No. 2 has 18 total cases – one active and the rest recovered.

Brooks has 1,229 total cases — 43 active and 1,176 are recovered. Brooks has recorded 10 deaths.

The County of Newell has a total of 75 cases — 22 active cases, 51 recovered and there have been two deaths.

The County of Warner has 82 total cases. There are 10 active cases, 71 are recovered cases and there has been one death in the county.

The City of Lethbridge has a total of 716 cases. There are 174 active cases, 536 recovered and there have been six deaths. Lethbridge County has 238 cases, 89 active cases, 148 recovered and there has been one death.

The figures on alberta.ca are “up-to-date as of end of day Nov. 12, 2020.”

Saskatchewan reported 81 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, 18 in the South Zones.

Saskatchewan has a total of 4,513 cases, 1,427 considered active. There are 3,057 recovered cases and there have been 29 COVID-19 deaths in the province.

by Chris Brown

Six more active COVID-19 cases pushes city to enhanced status

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