Alberta discovers more than 400 new coronavirus cases over the weekend

Aug 31 2020, 10:23 pm

Alberta discovered 426 new coronavirus cases over three days this weekend, with Sunday being the fifth day in a row the province has reported more than 100 new cases per day.

Saturday saw the highest number of new cases, with 184 new ones discovered that day. Friday saw 133 new cases and Sunday saw 109.

“Our case numbers over the last three days raise concerns,”Alberta’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said at a media briefing. “Will be looking closely to see if any additional steps need to be taken.”

Two more people died from the virus over the weekend, bringing the province’s COVID-19 death toll to 239. The latest victims were two elderly men — one in his 80s from Edmonton and one in his 90s from northern Alberta.

The latest cases bring Alberta’s active case count to 1,370, the highest it’s been in several days.

Over the weekend, Hinshaw also formalized guidance on students returning to school into a public health order. The order requires all students in Grade 4 through Grade 12 to wear face masks anytime they’re not seated in the classroom during instruction.

In classrooms, students’ desks should be arranged so that there’s maximum space between them — ideally two metres, Hinshaw said. The rule is meant to give students a break from wearing a mask while they’re seated a good distance from their peers.

Megan DevlinMegan Devlin

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