Calgary Zone now under watch status as coronavirus cases rise

The coronavirus has gotten worse in Calgary.

Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw placed the city on the watch list, as new numbers from the province show that active cases have risen over the past 24 hours to a total of 886.

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“Today, the City of Calgary is shifting onto the watch list. There are currently 686 active cases, which is 50.9 per 100,000,” said Hinshaw at the press conference.

“We’ve recently seen several outbreaks in that city linked to social gatherings, and this is yet another reminder that no region is immune from this virus, and that one case can quickly lead to many if restrictions are not followed.”

However, Hinshaw did not place Calgary under any additional measures.

The voluntary measures that were put into place in Edmonton earlier this month remain, as the city has seen its own active cases rise above 1,500 as of Friday.

Collectively, Alberta’s active case count now sits at 2,836, just a few hundred shy of the highest total seen back at the first height of the pandemic.

Hinshaw also noted that Alberta currently sits at a provincial positivity rate of 2.24% for all coronavirus tests that have been administered.

Of the 117 patients currently in hospital due to COVID-19, 40 are in the Calgary Zone and 63 are in the Edmonton Zone.

As always, Albertans are encouraged to practice safe physical distancing, wear a mask when out in public, maintain proper hand hygiene, and stay home if feeling at all sick.