8 more coronavirus cases confirmed for McKenzie Town Care Centre

Eight more cases of COVID-19 have been detected at the long-term care centre in Calgary.

Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw announced the new cases in an update on Thursday, stating that there has now been a total of 13 confirmed cases at the McKenzie Towne Continuing Care Centre.

A March 24 announcement included details on Alberta’s second coronavirus-related death, a woman in her 80s who had been a resident of the centre.

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Two other residents, as well as a staff member of the facility, had also tested positive by Tuesday, while Wednesday’s updates saw two additional cases, and Thursday brought eight more for that same centre.

The McKenzie Care Centre isn’t the only long-term care facility in Alberta that has been affected by the coronavirus, as one case was detected on Wednesday in Rosedale on the Park, an assisted living facility in Edmonton, and two more at Shepherd’s Care Kensington Village, also in Edmonton.

“With the long incubation period of the virus I think it will take some time before we are able to tell if all of the people who were exposed at the beginning of the outbreak have passed through that incubation period,” said Hinshaw of McKenzie Towne during the Thursday update.

“What’s important is that every single one of the residents there, both those who have symptoms those who don’t have symptoms, that they’re all getting the support and care that they need, and that anyone who does have symptoms is kept away from others.”

Hinshaw also noted that she expects to see more cases in the days and weeks to come.