COVID-19 cases climb in county
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Confirmed COVID-19 cases are again on the rise locally and provincially.
According to COVID19Stats.Alberta.ca, Alberta Health Services’ online geospatial tracking map for the virus, as of Thursday, July 16, there were four active cases in Sherwood Park — an increase of three cases within the past three days.
The four active cases bring the total number of confirmed cases in Sherwood Park to 27 since the start of the pandemic with 23 listed as recovered.
The numbers are going up in rural Strathcona County as well with five active cases as of Thursday; an increase of three cases since Monday. The new cases bring the total confirmed cases in rural Strathcona County to 25 with 20 listed as recovered.
Fort Saskatchewan also has a new active case, the first active case that city has seen in a while, bringing their total to nine cases since the start of the outbreak with eight listed as recovered.
Provincially, the numbers are also on the rise with the Alberta government reporting 120 new cases on Thursday, July 16.
There are 807 active cases in Alberta, with 69 people in hospital and eight of those battling the disease in intensive care units.
There were two new deaths reported on Thursday, bring the total deaths to 165 since the start of COVID-19.
The Calgary zone continues to be the hotspot of the province with 266 active cases. The Edmonton zone is in second with 165 active cases.
The new cases Thursday bring the provincial total to 9,114 with 807 cases still reported as active.
The province also revealed Wednesday that there has been one inmate at the Edmonton Remand Centre, Canada’s largest jail, and the inmate has been placed in isolation.
AHS spokesperson Kerry Williamson said the case was identified Wednesday morning and there is “no evidence of transmission of COVID-19 within the centre.”
There are also three flights from B.C. to Alberta that have been linked to positive COVID-19 cases. Flights with exposure included WestJet 460 from Kelowna to Calgary on July 2, WestJet 3312 from Kelowna to Edmonton on July 5 and WestJet 186 from Vancouver to Edmonton on July 5.
Passengers on these flights are recommended to self-isolate and monitor for symptoms for 14 days post-flight.
There have also been 560,493 tests completed, as of Thursday.
This week the province launched its second round of mask distribution, handing out 20-million masks to the public at drive-thrus throughout the province. Premier Jason Kenney reiterated that the UCP government would not make masks mandatory to wear in public spaces.
Despite not making masks mandatory, both Kenney and Dr. Deena Hinshaw, chief medical officer of health, urged Albertans to wear face coverings as much as possible in public.
“Masks are a part of our personal responsibility to manage the risk for ourselves and for others,” Hinshaw said. “Wearing one is the right thing to do.”
Free masks, up to eight masks per package, are available at A&W, Tim Horton’s and McDonald’s restaurants in Alberta.
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